Cosgrave took two years to reply to tribunal

FORMER Fine Gael TD and senator Liam Cosgrave took almost two years to make a full reply to the Flood Tribunal about allegations he received up to £19,000 from lobbyist Frank Dunlop and only made an effort when issued with a witness summons.

The chairman of the Tribunal, Mr Justice Fergus Flood, wrote to the councillor expressing his disappointment that a member of the Oireachtas had failed to avail of the opportunity to make a voluntary statement.

When Mr Cosgrave eventually made the first of two statements in March 2001, he said he took grave exception to the rumours and innuendo about councillors having ulterior motives for their stance on planning matters.