£5,000 paid to speed up planning appeal

A former Fine Gael councillor has told the Mahon tribunal that he paid £5,000 through an intermediary to speed up a planning appeal being heard by An Bord Pleanála.

Jim Fay said he had been told that without the money being paid the appeal "would not travel". He believed that the money went to an official.

Mr Fay said that while a councillor in the 1980s he had discovered "certain anomalies" in An Bord Pleanála and the former Dublin County Council which he had brought to the attention of senior figures in the Garda and in politics.

However, he said no-one listened and no-one wanted to know.

Mr Fay said he had a site in Blanchardstown which he wanted to develop. He said that a fee of £11,000 had been levied on this project. He said he had not considered these in his calculations and had appealed to An Bord Pleanála.

He said he had been approached by one of his employees and told that his appeal with An Bord Pleanála was not going to travel. He was told that if he was prepared to pay expenses that the appeal would travel.

"I was told that if I put £4,000 in an envelope (the fee) would be reduced to £7,000 officially. A few days later I was approached by the same person and told put five in an envelope now and its reduced to six, " he said.

Mr Fay said that the logjam that had been there was cleared three or four days after he paid £5,000 in cash. He said he had reported the matter to the police.

Mr Fay said that on another occasion a person had come to him as a councillor looking for advice. He put the man in touch with a very senior person in Dublin County Council.

He later asked the man how the meeting had gone and he replied: "you're like the Mafia".

He said the man was told that he could "join the club" by putting £5,000 in an envelope, preferably in used money.

Mr Fay said that when he was asked to run again for the council by Fine Gael he said he would only do so on condition that there was a sworn inquiry into Dublin County Council and An Bord Pleanála. He said this did not happen and he stepped down from politics.