Cosgrave denies accepting #1,000 for rezoning vote

MAHON TRIBUNAL: Former Fine Gael TD Mr Liam Cosgrave has denied a claim that he accepted a £1,000 payment in return for voting in favour of the rezoning of land owned by St Gerard's school in Bray.

Mr Cosgrave denied the allegation made by the lobbyist Mr Frank Dunlop, who claims he paid Mr Cosgrave and another councillor, Mr Tony Fox, £1,000 each for their votes in March 1998. Mr Fox has already denied the allegation.

Mr Cosgrave's evidence to the tribunal yesterday contradicted that of Mr Dunlop on a number of matters. He denied that the two men had discussed the St Gerard's land, as well as rejecting Mr Dunlop's claim that he referred the lobbyist to another Fine Gael councillor who signed the 1997 rezoning motion.

Ms Patricia Dillon SC, for the tribunal, said in Mr Cosgrave's statement he said that he had no memory of discussing the St Gerard's land with Mr Dunlop. Now Mr Cosgrave was saying he was certain there was no discussion on this matter when they met in September 1997, and that he didn't know Mr Dunlop had an interest in the St Gerard's land. Mr Cosgrave said he was as certain as he could be.

Ms Dillon pointed out that Mr Dunlop gave the politician a cheque for £1,815 at this meeting. If he couldn't remember getting this cheque, wasn't it much more likely that he would have forgotten discussing a piece of land? The witness agreed it was "possible" that he had provided Mr Dunlop with the voting record of councillors on the St Gerard's motion after the vote in March 1998. Ms Dillon said if this was the case, it meant that Mr Cosgrave knew of Mr Dunlop's interest in the land as of this date. It also followed logically that Mr Dunlop had prior contact with Mr Cosgrave about St Gerard's.

It "defied logic" that he would not have done so.

Mr Cosgrave said the lobbyist regularly contacted him about a number of other matters and it could have arisen out of this. "He didn't approach me [about St Gerard's]."

Ms Dillon said the witness had provided "piecemeal disclosure" to the tribunal about the payments he got from Mr Dunlop. He had started by referring to one contribution, but now there were five. She asked about a discussion Mr Cosgrave had about the payments with Mr Dunlop after the tribunal had started. Ms Cosgrave said the matter arose during a discussion at a lunch attended by other councillors.

Mr Dunlop had given him an assurance that the payments were genuine political donations. Ms Dillon asked why there was any doubt in Mr Cosgrave's mind. His primary concern was about the type of payment he got, and not the dates and amounts involved, because he never asked about these, she suggested.

The tribunal will resume in the New Year.