Roadstone ‘did not canvas anybody’ on Glen Ding sale

FORMER senior Roadstone executives told the Moriarty Tribunal yesterday there was no evidence of political interference when the company privately bought State lands in Co Wicklow that contained large sand and gravel deposits 15 years ago.

Sat, 06 May, 2006 - 01:00

Jim Morahan

The tribunal is investigating if any link exists between the controversial sale and payments to former Taoiseach Charles Haughey.

The late Des Traynor, who was non-executive chairman of Roadstone holding company CRH plc, carried on a secretive private banking system that funded Mr Haughey.

Roadstone witnesses flatly rejected allegations by rival bidder Brendan Johnston that Department of Energy officials gave Roadstone preferential treatment.

Donal Dempsey, who was Roadstone’s financial director, said: “To my knowledge there was absolutely no representation made to any politician or minister.

“This transaction was dealt with by a negotiation team of Roadstone Dublin — which was Máirtín Mac Aodha, Seamus Breathnach and myself — and we dealt with department officials, whose names are known to the tribunal. And we did not canvass anybody else.”

Roadstone bought the 145-acre site at Glen Ding in December 1990 for £1.25 million (€1.58m) in a private deal approved by Energy Minister Bobby Molloy and sanctioned by the Department of Finance.

Tribunal chairman Mr Justice Michael Moriarty has said he will be reporting if Mr Johnston got the same opportunity to compete fairly for this land as Roadstone did — and if he didn’t, did that contribute to them winning and him losing.

Mr Dempsey said Mr Traynor had no role in the negotiation and purchase of Glen Ding but did chair the acquisitions committee that approved the deal on December 18, 1990.

“Mr Traynor, as non-executive chairman of CRH plc, would have had no role in operating company matters and would have had no role in the negotiation of this purchase.”

Mr Mac Aodha and Mr Breathnach, who have since retired from Roadstone, said they were unaware at the time Mr Traynor had a relationship with Mr Haughey.