Lawlor says he will sue the `Sunday World'

Dublin West TD Mr Liam Lawlor has staunchly defended his role as a public representative. The former Fianna Fail deputy also apologised in the Dail to the Flood tribunal chairman about the exchanges during his four days in the witness-box.

He insisted during his 30-minute speech to the Dail that it was for the electorate of his constituency to decide who would represent them and "certainly not" the function of politicians in the House to demand he step down.

He admitted he was far from happy with his contribution to the tribunal. "I fully accept that it was unsatisfactory and I take this opportunity to apologise to the chairman for the exchanges that occurred and which were unhelpful to him in the difficult task he has to perform."

Mr Lawlor stressed, however, that he never had any difficulty with disclosing information and he could have "willingly" provided information to the inquiry if he realised he was legally required to do so and had been given any advance request rather than being asked when he was in the witness-box.

The Independent TD also hit out at Fine Gael and Labour about planning decisions and while insisting that he was not making allegations, said they had serious questions to answer about planning decisions. Issues associated with the Labour party would be dealt with. These issues would "rock the foundations of the Labour party".

He criticised a Fianna Fail TD, Mr John McGuinness (Carlow Kilkenny), who said on television that Mr Lawlor should resign. He hoped Mr McGuinness would be able to co-operate with the tribunal indirectly with his brother about a major controversial development, vigorously opposed by Aer Rianta but which still went through.

He sharply criticised the media and in particular the Sunday World, who he accused of trespassing on his property and removing documents which he said had already been disclosed to the tribunal's legal team. Mr Lawlor said he would be vigorously pursuing legal action against the paper.

He looked forward to dealing with the main issue of the planning in north Dublin and hoped that the tribunal would. He hoped that they were the matters they would be dealing with and "not the Czech republic and other faraway places which I fail to see have any relevance to the tribunal".

He had represented Dublin West for more than 20 years. He was elected to three or four villages in 1977 and now there was a population of more than 250,000 people. There was more construction, town centres, house building and industry in Lucan, Blanchardstown and Tallaght than anywhere else in the State.

He was providing business and private documents for the past 26 years and telephone calls for the past six years. If that was the standard for one members it should be the standard for all.