The Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, has rejected as "outrageous and untrue" an allegation that he lied about a claimed meeting with the developer Mr Tom Gilmartin and other government ministers in 1989. Paul Cullen reports.
Lawyers for Mr Brennan yesterday accused Mr Gilmartin of making a "false and arguably malicious" accusation against the Minister in his evidence the previous day.
Mr Rory MacCabe SC, for Mr Brennan, said Mr Gilmartin's recollection was "manifestly inaccurate and totally mistaken" in relation to the alleged meeting in the Fianna Fáil rooms in Leinster House in February 1989.
Mr Brennan was not at the meeting in Leinster House, as claimed by Mr Gilmartin, and his position on this had not changed, Mr MacCabe said.
He did attend an official meeting with Mr Gilmartin, other ministers and civil servants in September 1989, and this had been minuted.
Mr Gilmartin has alleged he met the then Taoiseach, Mr Charles Haughey, and seven of his ministers at the February 1989 meeting. Immediately after the meeting, he says, an unidentified man approached him and demanded he lodge £5 million in an offshore bank account.
He accused Mr Brennan and Mr Ray Burke, who deny such a meeting took place, of lying in their statements to the tribunal.
Mr MacCabe said that until this week, Mr Brennan had not felt the need to be represented at the tribunal.
However, because of Mr Gilmartin's malicious allegation he now felt obliged, as a member of the Government, to seek representation to confirm that he had no involvement with Quarryvale and to ensure that truth would prevail.
Ms Patricia Dillon SC, for the tribunal, accused Mr MacCabe of abusing his position by making a statement regarding his client when it had been made clear previously that he would not do so.
The chairman, Judge Alan Mahon, granted representation but said it was inappropriate for Mr McCabe to suggest that Mr Gilmartin was being malicious. This was a situation where there was a conflict of evidence and Mr MacCabe would get his chance to cross-examine the witness.