Gilmartin evidence conflicts with Ahern’s account

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern and Sligo businessman Tom Gilmartin have given the Mahon Tribunal conflicting accounts of meetings they had to discuss the redevelopment of Bachelors Walk in the late 1980s.

Mr Gilmartin said he had his first meeting with Mr Ahern in October 1987 when he was Minister for Labour after he was advised by Ray MacSharry and Dublin Corporation officials that he should appraise the minister of the project because of its potential to create a large number of jobs.

The tribunal heard that Mr Ahern had made a statement saying he did not meet Mr Gilmartin until October 1988 and that he had two meetings with him in quick succession just three days apart. Mr Gilmartin said he could not account for Mr Ahern’s recollections but he was certain they met in 1987 in Mr Ahern’s Department of Labour offices on Mespil Road.

He remembered details from this occasion such as chatting to a security man who was a former garda.

Mr Gilmartin also said he did not ask Mr Ahern for any favours or assistance but he found the then minister to be “quite enthusiastic” about Mr Gilmartin’s plans and agreed that “something must be done” about the urban renewal tax designation, the conditions of which were causing administrative difficulties for the project. He said his second meeting with Mr Ahern was in a room over Fagan’s Pub in 1988.

Mr Gilmartin is also in conflict with Padraig Flynn over the timing of their first meeting which Mr Gilmartin says took place in November 1987 and Mr Flynn says did not happen until about a year later.

Mr Gilmartin told the tribunal Mr Flynn was also “quite enthusiastic” about the project but also non-committal about the changes needed to the tax designation as he said the matter would have to be passed on to the Minister for Finance.

Mr Gilmartin said he expected a more positive reaction to a project of the size he was planning.

“He was quite enthusiastic but perhaps in my enthusiasm at bringing this investment in, I expected him to be over the moon and I did not get that kind of response,” he said.

Mr Flynn has made a statement to the tribunal saying he cannot find his diary for 1988 but he believes his first meeting with Mr Gilmartin took place at the end of that year but Mr Gilmartin said in evidence yesterday: “I met him before that. That is 100% certain.”

Mr Gilmartin said he arranged the meetings on the advice of officials in Dublin Corporation who told him tax matters and other issues pertaining to the development were beyond their control. Mr Gilmartin said he did not know any government minister before he set out to make their acquaintance in respect of the Bachelor’s Walk project.