Rabbitte ‘abused Dáil privilege’

FORMER Fianna Fáil TD Liam Lawlor has accused Labour leader Pat Rabbitte of abusing Dáil privilege to make false accusations against him.

He reacted angrily last night to remarks made by Mr Rabbitte about the people behind a controversial British property company, Jackson Way Properties, earlier this week.

In the Dáil last Wednesday, during an exchange with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern about lands at Carrickmines owned by Jackson Way, Mr Rabbitte claimed the company, which has been awarded 13m in compensation for the compulsory purchase of part of the site, was owned by arcade owner Jim Kennedy, solicitor John Caldwell and “a former Fianna Fáil deputy and chairman of the Fianna Fáil Ethics Committee”.