Ex-junior health minister tells tribunal he was offered inducement by developer

EX-JUNIOR health minister Chris Flood (FF) told the Mahon Planning Tribunal yesterday he was offered an inducement to support a development project while a member of Dublin County Council.

Elected in 1979, he resigned from the local authority on February 19, 1991, when appointed junior Health Minister. Mr Flood retired from the Dáil in 2002.

Mr Flood described how unnamed developers had suggested, during a presentation, “there might be something in this for you” if they got their project through.

He added: “I felt there was some kind of an offer being made that would be to my benefit.”

He rejected evidence given by party colleague Jim Geraghty that a whip was imposed on FF councillors to vote in a particular way on planning matters.

Former FF councillor Jim Barry declared “under no circumstances” had he received a £2,000 (€2,540) political donation from Monarch property development.

But Monarch documents recorded that Mr Barry, who lost his seat on Dublin County Council in June 1991, receiving a £2,000 cheque on April 5, 1991.

Mr Barry said, as far as he remembered, Monarch executive Richard Lynn met him at the council offices and gave him the money saying, “that’s the sponsorship for the election”.

Reminded he had told the FF internal inquiry, in May 2000, he received £1,000 (€1,270) in cash, Mr Barry replied he now was not sure. He insisted he had not received any other payments from Monarch.

“I know I got a thousand,” he told tribunal lawyer Patricia Dillon SC.

Pressed whether he received other payments that Monarch documents show were paid to a Jim Barry, he said: “I can’t guarantee it now if the £1,000 was cash or a cheque.” But he insisted it was the only donation he received from Monarch.

Earlier, Mr Barry’s party colleague Sean Gilbride insisted his vote would not have been influenced by a donation given to him by a development company.

He did not believe Monarch, which paid him £300 (€381), did it to try to influence his vote, he told Judge Gerald Keys. And he would not have accepted the money if he believed the company was trying to influence his vote.

Retired Fine Gael politician Mary Flaherty said she told Monarch executive Eddie Sweeney she could not get involved when he asked her to introduce him to FG councillors in south Dublin, as it related to land zoning.

In several elections she contested, Ms Flaherty received between £300 and £1,500 (€1,905) on each occasion from Monarch.

The former Dublin Corporation member said she was “horrified” when Fine Gael publicly stated only three party members had received more than £500 in political donations.