Gilmartin: ‘Reynolds got IDA to frustrate Quarryvale move’
Mr Gilmartin claimed Cork-based developer Owen O’Callaghan told him some time later that “Albert seen to that” — a reference he took to mean Mr Reynolds, who was minister for finance in 1990 when the alleged interference took place.
Recalling how the 18 acres across the road from Quarryvale were vital for his project, Mr Gilmartin claimed Mr O’Callaghan told him Mr Reynolds got the IDA to approach the county council to say the authority needed the land.
But Mr Gilmartin said he was later approached by the council — when it was being broken up into four Dublin local authorities — if he was interested in getting the land. As events proved, he added, the IDA had no intention of buying the site.
In a statement to the tribunal last April, IDA chief valuer Michael McLoone said Mr Gilmartin had told him about the alleged political interference and claim-ed the action by Mr O’Callaghan was designed to frustrate Mr Gilmartin’s plans for Quarryvale.
The tribunal has heard a bitter dispute erupted between the former partners. Mr Gilmartin’s Quarryvale project was taken over and developed by Mr O’Callaghan and became the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre.
When Mr Gilmartin owed Allied Irish Banks about £9 million in December 1990, the bank drew up new terms for extending the facilities. Mr Gilmartin claimed bank records were “sanitised” and alleged every dirty trick in the book was pulled. The bank had an agenda that Mr O’Callaghan would get involved, he said.
Part of the conditions stipulated that Mr Gilmartin assemble a “professional team” acceptable to the bank and that Mr O’Callag-han, who had another development project running at the time, must have a significant involvement in Quarryvale.
Tribunal lawyer Pat Quinn SC asked if this professional team would include lobbyist Frank Dunlop, prompting Mr Gilmartin to declare there was no way he would have Mr Dunlop near him.
Mr Gilmartin said he was not going to be blackmailed by Mr O’Callaghan and he was not going to hand over £2m to the Cork developer. “If the bank decided to put in a receiver, that was their right. I was never motivated by money.”
During a meeting at Fianna Fáil headquarters, senior party official Sean Sherwin suggested if he had a donation to make it would be welcome as FF was then £3m in debt. Mr Gilmartin said he replied he had already donated £50,000 to former environment minister Padraig Flynn for the party.
Mr Sherwin said he would check the records and after spending some time away came back and said they had received no such donation.
Earlier Mr Gilmartin reacted strongly to a letter written by the late Liam Lawlor, who was involved as a consultant on the project. In it, Mr Lawlor said it appeared Mr Gilmartin exercised undue influence on the Department of the Environment to the advantage of his Quarryvale site.
“That’s an absolute lie,” said Mr Gilmartin angrily, “another Lawlor stroke.”
nMeanwhile, the High Court has confirmed July 10 as the date for hearing of an action brought by the Mahon Tribunal over publication by the Irish Times of an article disclosing that Taoiseach Bertie Ahern received substantial cash payments from businessmen when he was Minister for Finance in 1993.
The proceedings against the paper’s editor Geraldine Kennedy and Public Affairs Correspondent Colm Keena are expected to last up to eight days.
The proceedings are aimed at compelling both journalists to disclose the source of confidential information regarding payments to Mr Ahern.
The action arose from an article, written by Mr Keena and published by The Irish Times on September 21st 2006, entitled: Tribunal examines payments to Taoiseach.
When summoned before the tribunal on September 26, both journalists refused to provide documents or answer questions which might identify the source of the information on which the article was based.
Ms Kennedy said the letter in question had been destroyed.
In an affidavit in the case, Ms Kennedy has said it is “a matter of legitimate and significant public and political interest” that the Taoiseach received substantial cash payments from businessmen when he was Minister for Finance in 1993.
These were “matters of fact and not mere allegations” and the citizens of Ireland were entitled to know them, she said.
