MAHON TRIBUNAL: A town planner who was engaged to apply for the rezoning of land owned by St Gerard's school in Bray has said she didn't know the school had also employed Mr Frank Dunlop to lobby county councillors on the issue.
Ms Auveen Byrne said she didn't believe she was aware of Mr Dunlop's involvement in the attempted rezoning in 1997/98. She had met him once before this time.
The tribunal is investigating two attempts to rezone about 20 acres of St Gerard's land during the 1990s. Mr Dunlop has alleged he paid two councillors £1,000 each to support the 1998 rezoning, which was defeated by one vote.
Mr William Murray, a planning officer in Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown County Council, said he met school representatives about the proposal in November 1997. Council officials said they were opposed to any rezoning of St Gerard's land from green belt to residential because they were against ad hoc or piecemeal changes to the green belt.
Former Fine Gael TD Mr Michael Joe Cosgrave told the tribunal he seconded the April 1992 motion on Dublin county council to rezone St Gerard's land but agreed he did not vote on the motion. This was because he had to vote in the Dáil on the Finance Bill on the day in question.
Mr M.J. Cosgrave said he seconded the motion probably after being contacted by his party colleague, Cllr Liam Cosgrave, who proposed it. He agreed with Ms Patricia Dillon SC, for the tribunal, that it was a "departure" for him to propose or second a motion outside his own electoral area, which was Howth.
Later, Fianna Fáil councillor Mr Larry Butler confirmed he signed the 1998 rezoning motion but he said he had not been influenced in the matter by Mr Dunlop. He said there was "enormous" support for the move from parents at the school. While he couldn't recall when or where he signed the motion, "Mr Dunlop did not come to my home on any occasion looking for me to sign anything," he said.
Ms Eileen Durkan, a parent and school governor at the time, said she was aware Mr Dunlop had been retained as a lobbyist although she never met him. Under cross-examination, she said she was disappointed Mr Dunlop had contacted only four councillors. "I thought he was a professional lobbyist and therefore that he would lobby all of the councillors," she said.
Ms Dillon pointed out that while only four councillors were contacted, all were "circularised".
Meanwhile, the tribunal said it would decide this morning whether or not to subpoena Cllr Patrick Hand to give evidence after he failed to attend yesterday. Ms Dillon said she did not wish to make any issue of Mr Hand's non-appearance as he may have had good reason to be unavailable.
Mr Liam Cosgrave is due to give evidence today.