Ahern and Reynolds to appear at tribunal
Many ministers from the 1987-'89 Fianna Fáil Government are included on the witness schedule that the Planning Tribunal posted on its website last night.
The list is comprised of current minister Seamus Brennan; former EU commissioner Ray McSharry; Senator Mary O'Rourke, and South European constituency MEP Gerry Collins.
Fianna Fáil councillor and businessman Joe Burke, who met Mr Gilmartin on behalf of Mr Ahern, as well as another close associate of the Taoiseach, Tim Collins, will also appear. They were present with Mr Ahern at a meeting with Mr Gilmartin in 1998, during which he outlined the difficulties he was having getting two multi-million developments off the ground.
According to the Planning Tribunal, the Arlington/Quarryvale module will begin on March 2 with an opening statement from Mr Gilmartin.
The claims made by the businessman, living in Cork, centre around attempts he made to develop properties at Bachelors Walk in Dublin and at Quarryvale (the site of the Liffey Valley shopping centre) in the late 1980s.
The most dramatic allegation relates to a £50,000 cheque he paid to then Minister for the Environment, Padraig Flynn, in 1989. Mr Gilmartin claims the cheque was intended for Fianna Fáil and not for Mr Flynn's personal use. This has been denied by the Mayo-based former EU commissioner.
The bulk of the ministers will appear in relation to a disputed meeting that took place in 1989. Mr Gilmartin says there were several ministers present at the meeting but all deny it took place. The only person with any recollection of a meeting is Ms O'Rourke.
Statements submitted by her to the tribunal suggest her memory of what took place was "vague". In addition to the allegations against Mr Flynn, the property developer has also made accusations against former TD Liam Lawlor, Dublin assistant city and county manager George Redmond, and others. It is believed Mr Ahern's testimony to the tribunal has confirmed that he, Mr Burke and Mr Collins were present at a meeting with Mr Gilmartin, in which he gave an account of the trouble he was having with two developments.
But he has also told the tribunal he has no recollection of a meeting in February 1989 at which other senior ministers are claimed to have attended. They have also denied that any such meeting took place.
In the Dáil last week, Mr Ahern told Pat Rabbitte that Mr Gilmartin may have mentioned to him that he gave £50,000 to Padraig Flynn in 1989, but said he had no recollection of it.
