Flood tribunal to resume hearings

After a break of over a year, the Flood tribunal is to recommence public hearings into allegations of bribes paid to politicians in the Dublin area in the early 1990s.

The tribunal will sit tomorrow hear week to hear applications from any parties seeking legal representation in relation to the controversial rezoning of lands at Carrickmines Great in the early 1990s.

Full hearings are likely to follow several weeks later, and will hear evidence from politicians, county council officials, landowners and others involved.

Most of the land at Carrickmines was owned by an offshore company, Paisley Park Investments, and subsequently by Jackson Way, which is registered in the UK.

Both companies figure in allegations that money was paid to councillors to secure the rezoning of the land. Jackson Way is currently involved in arbitration proceedings with Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown County Council at which it is seeking a multi-million euro compensation after 20 acres of its land was compulsorily acquired for the construction of the South-Eastern Motorway.

Last week, a Birmingham-based surveyor and businessman, Mr Alan Holland, told the arbitration hearing in Dún Laoghaire that he was the sole owner of the company.

Other lands which were rezoned at Carrickmines and which are under investigation by the tribunal were owned by Mr Brian O'Halloran, Mr Austin Darragh and Mr J.G. Kilcoyne.