Defeated but Dunlop felt obliged to pay £15,000

POLITICAL lobbyist Frank Dunlop felt obliged to pay £15,000 to councillors who had voted in favour of rezoning his client’s property in 1992, despite the fact the rezoning motion was defeated.

Mr Dunlop told the Flood Tribunal yesterday he feared he would never get assistance from councillors again, if he failed to keep his promise of giving them money in return for votes.

The tribunal is investigating allegations that businessman Jim Kennedy gave Mr Dunlop £25,000 to pay councillors to support the rezoning of 108 acres of land owned by Paisley Park in Carrickmines, South Dublin in 1992.