Dunlop outlines details of systematic planning corruption

Former political lobbyist Frank Dunlop has been giving further details to the Mahon Tribunal today about the system of planning corruption he says was rife among Dublin county councillors in the 1980s and 1990s.

Mr Dunlop told the tribunal that, prior to the local elections in June 1991, he only needed to bribe Fianna Fáil councillors to get a rezoning motion passed.

He said he could rely almost exclusively on this support, but had to change tactics when the party lost one-third of its seats in 1991.

After that, Mr Dunlop said he had to approach councillors from other parties.

Asked how he established if they were "bribeable", he said he knew of certain people who were "disposed to operating the system", giving the name of Fine Gael councillor Tom Hand as an example.

Mr Dunlop also told the tribunal today that he was surprised when Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte and his former Democratic Left colleagues supported the controversial rezoning of lands at Ballycullen in 1992.

He said today that it was unusual for Democratic Left councillors to take this stance and could not remember any other occasion when they supported rezoning motions.

Mr Dunlop also said he paid IR£3,000 in cash to Mr Rabbitte in November 1992 to help cover general election expenses.

Mr Rabbitte has already told the tribunal that the sum was IR£2,000 and that the money was returned by cheque a few weeks later.