Redmond complains of being ‘stitched' into probe

FORMER senior planning officer George Redmond complained yesterday he was “stitched in” to the Mahon Planning Tribunal’s latest probe although he had “no role” in efforts to rezone South Dublin land.

Mr Redmond, 82, was assistant Dublin city and county manager when he retired in June 1989. He was jailed for corruption in December 2003, but his conviction was quashed on appeal seven months later.

Developer Aidan Kelly has told the tribunal how a meeting was arranged with the disgraced public official to “resolve all issues” connected with the rezoning of the former Pye lands at Dundrum now under the spotlight.

He was encountering planning problems over the development and had brought along a third party to a meeting with Mr Redmond. But the developer reported the meeting as “a total waste of time”.

No sooner was Mr Kelly back in his office when the public official telephoned him, saying: “George Redmond here. Mr Kelly, next time you are coming to see me come alone.”

Quizzed yesterday, Mr Redmond said he had no specific recollection of any meeting with Mr Kelly but would accept Mr Kelly’s statement a meeting had taken place. Later, Mr Redmond said he had met Mr Kelly just once.

Tribunal lawyer Patricia Dillon SC asked Mr Redmond if any other persons were present when developers gave him money.

Initially Mr Redmond said he could not recall, but later agreed only himself and the developer would be present when a developer gave him money.

Tribunal chairman Judge Alan Mahon: “Is it your evidence that when you met a developer on your own it was for the purposes of receiving money?”

Mr Redmond: “Not at all.”

In further reply, Mr Redmond agreed there had been meetings between himself and developers when money had not changed hands.