A system of cash-for-signatures operated in Dublin County Council during the 80s and early 90s, former Fianna Fail and government press secretary Mr Frank Dunlop told the Flood Tribunal today.
The signatures were required to get a motion on the agenda of county council meetings; which was the first step in getting a planning proposal passed by the council, Mr Dunlop said.
The motions generally proposed a material contravention of the 1983 Dublin Development Plan leading to lands being rezoned for building or zoning of lands as, what Mr Dunlop referred to as the 1991 - 1993 Dublin Development Plan, was being perpared.
He also told the tribunal of how he was retained by exiled businessman, Mr Jim Kennedy, to bribe councillors to get lands at Carrickmines known then as Paisley Park, rezoned. He said Mr Kennedy identified himself as the sole owner of the lands that later came under the ownership of the mysterious company, Jackson Way.
Mr Dunlop this afternoon outlined a system he became gradually aware of as he worked as a public relations consultant retained by developers seeking planning permission from Dublin Co Co.
He outlined five factors which had to be considered when seeking support from councillors:
1.A party whip was in operation within Fianna Fail and Fine Gael
2.Cross-party support was required to get a motion passed
3.Councillors representing the area where the development was proposed had to be approached first
4.Certain councillors were more amenable to assisting applications
5.Payments would have to be made to some councillors
Mr Dunlop said certain councillors would proffer their services for cash in order to assist planning proposals. He said on other occasions councillors would ask for cash after being approached.
He said he first became aware that money would be needed to secure votes when councillor Sean Kilbride told him land rezoning sought at Quarryvale would come at a "cost".
He also told the tribunal of circumstances in which he came to act for Dublin businessman Mr Jim Kennedy.
He said solicitor, Mr John Caldwell, had met him in January 1991 and told him of lands in Carrickmines, Co Dublin, known as Paisley Park, that the owner, Mr Kennedy, wanted zoned for development.
Mr Dunlop then went to a meeting at Amusement City arcade on Westmoreland Street, which was owned at the time by Mr Kennedy and is now owned by his wife, Antoinette Kennedy.
He said he met Mr Kennedy in a basement where the zoning was discussed. Mr Kennedy told him he knew what was required because he had been previously assisted by cllr Tom Hand in a similar matter, Mr Dunlop said.
"It struck me that Mr Kennedy was an extremely knowledgeable man, technically ... about how councillors, planners and the like, assessed the value of proposals," Mr Dunlop told the tribunal.
He said it was clear from the meeting that both men knew money would be required to get the zoning on the agenda. The £25,000 cash was later collected by Mr Dunlop to, as counsel for the tribunal put it, "go forth and bribe councillors". Mr Kennedy was fully aware that this was the case Mr Dunlop said.
He said he was to be allowed keep any money left after paying councillors and was to be paid £100,000 upon completion of the development.
Mr Dunlop said the only councillors mentioned in the meeting with Mr Kennedy were Mr Hand and former Fianna Fail TD Mr Liam Lawlor. Mr Dunlop claimed "it was obvious" that Mr Kennedy and Mr Lawlor had discussed the matter.
The tribunal resumes on Tuesday.