Committee ‘failed tohonour terms of reference’

A HIGH-PROFILE Fianna Fáil probe into donations to members failed to uncover thousands of pounds in payments from developers because the investigating committee did not honour their terms of reference, the Flood Tribunal heard.

Senator and county councillor Don Lydon said he was only ever asked a few questions about developments linked to Frank Dunlop despite the fact that the first purpose of the inquiry was to establish "whether Fianna Fáil councillors were in receipt of donations from Frank Dunlop and/or developers".

Mr Lydon told the tribunal he didn't know if he had ever seen those terms of reference but he said he had checked recently with committee member Michael Ahern, and fellow county councillor Betty Coffey, and they both agreed with him that only specific issues were being examined and it was not intended as a general trawl.