Redmond was a protected species, says Gilmartin
The developer said he tried to tell former Fianna Fáil senator Willie Farrell about the interference in his shopping centre plans and the demand made of him for £5 million in return for support for the projects but the senator seemed primarily concerned that he keep quiet so nobody would hear him.
Mr Farrell then passed Mr Gilmartin along to party colleague, Sean Gilbride, a Dublin councillor originally from Mr Gilmartin's home place in Sligo but Mr Gilbride only said: "Liam Lawlor was all right if I handled him in the right way."
Mr Gilmartin did not have any luck with then European Commissioner Ray MacSharry either after he talked to him by phone. "His response was non-committal to say the least. Off-handed, unsurprised," said Mr Gilmartin, who added the call ended abruptly after he mentioned the £5m demand.
Mr Gilmartin has already given evidence that he also tried to raise the issues with then environment minister Padraig Flynn whose response was to suggest he make a substantial donation to get Lawlor off his back.
Mr Gilmartin also recalled a conversation with a Dublin county council official with whom he was in contact over the sale of 70 acres of publicly-owned land in Quarryvale, west Dublin where Mr Gilmartin planned to develop a shopping centre.
A deal was struck in principle but had to be approved by the council members and before it could be passed, another developer, John Corcoran of Green Properties, who had long-running plans for a shopping centre in nearby Blanchardstown, appeared on the scene and expressed an interest in buying the land.
Mr Gilmartin said Mr Corcoran had never expressed interest in the land before and he suspected the assistant city and county manager, George Redmond, had put him up to it.
The council official told him Redmond was "interfering". "He said Mr Redmond was on Green's payroll and I asked him why not do something about it and he said: 'Who can we report it to?' He said we would not have a job in the morning we have to make a living. The indication to me was that Mr Redmond was a protected species."
