At a meeting in 1989, Mr George Redmond, then an assistant Dublin city and county manager, said he had stuck his neck out over the years and put himself at risk on Turvey House, Mr James Gogarty said.
Mr Gogarty said Turvey House in Donabate was a listed building which was demolished overnight when a county council order was issued. The 1989 meeting with Mr Joe Murphy jnr, Mr Michael Bailey, Mr Frank Reynolds and himself was to offer Mr Redmond £15,000 in compensation for not receiving a consultancy with the Murphy group.
Mr John Gallagher SC, for the tribunal, asked how the meeting with Mr Redmond in Clontarf Castle, Dublin, arose.
Mr Gogarty said it arose when they were driving back from the meeting in Mr Ray Burke's house in June 1989. The meeting was later that month.
Mr Michael Bailey had raised the question that there was one outstanding issue of the Murphys either honouring some commitment, agreement, with Mr Redmond on a consultancy basis or paying him off, compensating him for the loss of it.
Mr Gogarty said he (Mr Gogarty) had known about it since a meeting in 1988 when Mr Redmond said it himself and also from a partner of Mr Liam Conroy (an executive of the Murphy group) who had told him that Mr Conroy had an arrangement with Mr Redmond for a consultancy when he retired.
The question was seemingly that Mr Redmond had put a figure of £25,000 on it but Mr Joe Murphy jnr said that his father would never pay that kind of money. Mr Murphy intimated to Mr Bailey that he would have a chat with Mr Redmond to strike a compromise. Mr Bailey was also to have another chat with Mr Redmond.
The next he heard was that they were arranging a meeting and the figure of £15,000 was mentioned. Mr Frank Reynolds, a Murphy group executive, told him about it, Mr Gogarty said, and that that would be the offer.
Mr Murphy jnr organised the meeting in Clontarf Castle with Mr Bailey. Mr Reynolds told him (Mr Gogarty) there was an agreement on the offer and Mr Redmond would accept it.
Asked what happened at the meeting, Mr Gogarty said: "I wasn't so much interested except that they were talking about what Redmond said he had done and stuck his neck out and put himself at risk over the years, but he was satisfied now."
Mr Gallagher asked if Mr Redmond elaborated on the words putting himself at risk over the years.
Mr Gogarty said: "Well, he mentioned in particular Turvey House."
Mr Gogarty said it dawned on him this was in relation to what occurred some years earlier. Turvey House was on 155 acres in Donabate and was owned by Turvey Estates Ltd. His recollection was that it was a very fine house originally listed for preservation. It was let go to rack and ruin.
His instructions from Mr Joe Murphy snr were to look after it with minimum work to keep it safe for the public. The roof was being stripped, the windows were broken.
His recollection was that the council issued a demolition order and they organised a contractor to do it. It was demolished overnight.
Mr Gallagher asked what role Mr Redmond played in that and what did he understand by his reference to sticking his neck out. Mr Gogarty said he did not know; that was what Mr Redmond said. "I don't know what role he played but he said he stuck his neck out or put himself on risk on Turvey House. He would have to explain it himself."