Dunlop: Bruton ‘relaxed’ when told of bribe demand

LOBBYIST Frank Dunlop described yesterday how former Fine Gael leader John Bruton remarked the world was not “populated by angels” when he was informed a party councillor was seeking a corrupt payment for his vote.

Mr Dunlop told the Mahon Tribunal when he spoke to Mr Bruton, then party leader, he did not specify the late Tom Hand was seeking IR£250,000 — equal to more than €317,000 — for continuing to back the Quarryvale development in west Dublin.

However, Mr Bruton — due to give evidence next week — totally denies Mr Dunlop informed him of the demand following a FG fundraising lunch at the Red Cow Inn in May 1993.

Mr Bruton says the allegation that a public representative would seek a bribe of that amount in return for a vote would have been so serious as to have prompted “an immediate reaction on my part and a swift resolve to confront the issue as best I could”.

Mr Bruton concludes that any conversation with Mr Dunlop “was of the usual social tittle-tattle associated with fundraising events”.

Mr Dunlop said Mr Bruton was relaxed when told about the demand for money from Mr Hand, a prominent member of Dublin County Council.

Mr Dunlop said he told nine people of Mr Hand’s demands. Tribunal chairman Judge Alan Mahon said he presumed Mr Dunlop was not making a formal complaint to Mr Bruton or looking for his approach to result in an inquiry by Mr Bruton — given that fact Mr Dunlop was engaged in that activity himself.

Mr Dunlop said his objective “was to get Mr Hand off his back. He was becoming a pest”.

Mr Dunlop said he did not mention the sum of IR£250,000 to Mr Bruton or that he had already given Mr Hand IR£20,000.

He said Mr Bruton was a realistic politician: “Certainly in the sub culture that existed in the late ’80s and early ’90s, any politician who suggests they were not suspicious, conscious or aware of the activities in Dublin County Council are taking us all for pink elephants.”

Therese Ridge, a FG councillor who attended the lunch, has informed the tribunal she told Mr Dunlop to bring the Hand matter to the gardaí, but Mr Dunlop said she never said such a thing.