Government examining Jackson Way court judgment

The Taoiseach said the Government was examining a court judgment relating to the payment of €13 million compensation to the Jackson Way company.

"As in all cases, I cannot see how the Government will be able to take any different position other than that found in a court of law," Mr Ahern added. "We will have to examine that to see what rights of redress or what other protections we have."

He was replying to the Labour leader, Mr Pat Rabbitte, who had asked him to comment on the holding up of the M50 motorway and the added punishment for the hard-pressed motorist.

"I refer to the decision by a group of individuals to go to court to delay the M50 while they asserted ownership to lands adjacent to the motorway.

"They claimed €118 million in compensation. After various revelations at Dublin Castle, they reduced this to €48 million. In the event, they were awarded €13 million of our money. This is a company called Jackson Way, through which three prominent individuals, an arcade owner, Mr Jim Kennedy; a solicitor, Mr John Caldwell; and a former Fianna Fáil deputy and chairman of the Fianna Fáil ethics committee, Mr Liam Lawlor, asserted ownership to this land and were awarded €13 million."

Mr Rabbitte said the tribunal had established that the company had no legal title to the lands in question. "Yet these people who asserted a claim for €118 million were awarded €13 million of our money. One would not find this situation in the Yukon in the 19th century. There, one would not find someone mounting a claim jump such as this."

Mr Ahern said that the Government did not own the land. "If the courts have made a determination on this, we may well have to pay. We will examine the judgment and then make a decision on it."

Mr Rabbitte said he was a bit surprised that the Taoiseach was not better briefed. "This was not a decision of the court but of the arbitrator. It is not a decision of the court to award €13 million of our money to these people."

"People watching this will react with disbelief that when people who assert ownership of land they did not have and con the arbitrator into getting €13 million of our money, it would be paid out."

Mr Ahern said he had consulted his colleagues and his information was that the ownership issue was before the courts.