Donations ‘to help best people get elected’
During the 1992 general election campaign, Mr Reilly requested £1,000 each for Michael Keating (FG) and PD leader Mary Harney, with £500 each to four other Dáil candidates.
Mr Reilly explained he wanted good, committed politicians to represent the Tallaght area, to ensure it got hospitals and schools.
The tribunal is investigating the rezoning of 236 acres of Monarch land at Cherrywood in South Dublin during the 1990s.
Monarch made payments totalling over £500,000 in connection with the rezoning of that land. A substantial amount of the money was paid out in political donations, which the company listed as expense costs.
Judge Gerald Keys asked if Mr Reilly thought it was unhealthy, even at election times, for a company like Monarch to make contributions to councillors who had the power to facilitate lucrative rezoning projects.
Mr Reilly said he didn’t know if it was unhealthy, but he accepted the public perception was that such payments were unhealthy.
Former Monarch executive Richard Lynn told him of Monarch’s practice of making political donations at election time. Recalling his explanation, Mr Reilly said: “We will be dealing with these people in future and I need to be able to talk to them and get their time.”
Judge Keys suggested Mr Lynn’s comment could mean contributions to politicians would help to swing their vote.
Mr Reilly said he thought some politicians would have been paid, regardless of the Cherryfield project.
