Lawlor dismisses ‘farcical’ planning tribunal

LIAM LAWLOR, the former Fianna Fáil TD who was jailed for failing to co-operate with the Planning Inquiry, has dismissed the tribunal process as farcical.

Last night he declared confidence that he will ultimately clear his name of corruption allegations.

“I never asked for or received a corrupt penny in my life,” he said in an interview on Sky News Ireland.

“And if anybody even suggested it...like you know you got two thirds of the people have financially supported me with no connection with County Dublin or Planning. Ever. And that’s only been discovered to the tribunal. And so therefore to suggest that I pay you to go and vote for something... it’s just...it’s unheard of... just wouldn’t happen.

“I think the tribunal would probably wind up in the next 24 to 36 months with a sort of definitive reportage on what needed investigation. And what other overlap of investigation...you’ll hear about Cork and Donegal that they’ve complaints about. But I think they’ll probably go to some sort of private inquiry, and if there is substance there, the then government of the day will look at what’s produced by way of private enquiry, at a minimal cost, and decide if it should go to very expensive tribunal. So I think the lesson has been learned that 10, 15 legal staff working for a tribunal is not the way to enquire into matters,” Mr Lawlor said.

He will eventually be found absolutely innocent.

“No doubt, and my final submissions will...I’ll nearly write their report for them. I’ll be writing my submission, which I will want to see in the report. And if it doesn’t reflect the truth as I interpret it, I’ll be in the courts challenging them to prove otherwise,” he warned.

The planning tribunal had created an industry for the lawyers involved, he said.

“The Minister for Finance out-going has already decided on the fee issue. So Oireachtas Éireann will collectively decide to finish what needs to be investigated. We can’t have the perception in the public mind that we terminated or there was a termination of something that should have been investigated and concluded and reported upon. And I’m answerable for every decision I’ve made in public life, publicly, but after that the add-ons that these tribunals have made to keep themselves busy are ridiculous.”

On the longevity of the tribunal, he said: “Lord Hutton could report on why the British government went to war, we could have a report in the United States when 3,000 people lost their lives. And we’re now down in Dublin Castle for five or six years...but another five or six discovering did Liam Lawlor get £3,500 legitimately or not. For God’s sake it’s a...it’s farcical, absolute farcical. They should have established all this in private session, at a minimum cost.

“The Gilmartin module, if it’s now proven, as I think has gone under public record, that his allegations are false; why couldn’t the legal team for the tribunal establish that? Why did it take myself cross-examining different witnesses?”