Ray Burke denies knowledge of rezoning bribes

Former Fianna Fáil minister Ray Burke today told the Mahon Tribunal he was never aware of any payments made to councillors during the rezoning of land in North Dublin.

Mr Burke said there was innuendo in the early 1990s about the allegations, but stressed he had no personal knowledge of the claims.

The disgraced former politician remained confident throughout his evidence, which was just his second public appearance since he was jailed for fiddling his tax returns in January last year.

He attended the funeral of former Taoiseach Charles Haughey earlier this year.

The former minister, who held the Foreign Affairs, Justice and Environment portfolios during more than 20 years as a Fianna Fáil deputy, served four-and-a-half months of a six-month sentence in Arbour Hill prison.

Today, he told the planning tribunal he vehemently opposed the rezoning of land at Balheary near Swords by developer Joe Tiernan over concerns it would break the natural line of the town.

Mr Burke admitted warning lobbyist Frank Dunlop to stay off his patch because it was damaging him politically and embarrassing.

However, he strongly denied claims by Mr Dunlop that he opposed the scheme because Mr Tiernan was affiliated with Fine Gael.

He also denied the lobbyist’s allegations that he called the Fianna Fáil office at Dublin Council asking ’why are you giving that f****** blue shirt support.’

“That never took place,” he said. “That’s not the way I believe in relation to political views.

“I have met tens of thousands of people and have never asked one of them their political views.

“I very much resent that.”

The tribunal is investigating three unsuccessful attempts to have the land rezoned between 1991 and 1995.

The Christian Brothers were at the time seeking to have 70 acres of their land, which was agriculture, rezoned for development.

As local TD, Mr Burke was unable to vote on the Dublin County Council issue. And although he admitted openly voicing his objections, Fianna Fáil councillors were among those who supported the motion in 1993.

Although it was initially passed, the rezoning was never confirmed, and the land concerned remained agricultural.

It is now earmarked for the site of the new Metro terminal in Swords.

A former Christian Brothers pupil, Mr Burke said he had empathy with them but opposed the plans for Balheary because he felt the town needed an overall plan including amenities, schools and recreational areas.

He said he warned Mr Dunlop from the area as he had been closely associated with Fianna Fáil and his involvement and lobbying would have been interpreted to be that Fianna Fáil was supporting something that was going against the views of residents in the area.

Mr Dunlop has alleged he paid four councillors £1,000 each for their support in the rezoning bid in 1993. He has told the tribunal neither the Christian Brothers nor Mr Tiernan had been aware of payments made to politicians in relation to the land.

The developer also claimed he gave the late Liam Lawlor £8,000 worth of payments, and carried out £7,000 worth of work on his garden.

Mr Burke criticised Mr Dunlop’s evidence.

“I have no knowledge of payments to councillors,” he said. “I do not think any of them have been proven as yet.

“I find it objectionable he makes a lot of those allegations against those who are dead and have no right to defend themselves. But that’s just a personal feeling.

“I have no doubt he was being paid handsomely for it himself.

Jim Fay, a former Fine Gael councillor, earlier told the tribunal he had complained at the highest level both with the gardaí and within his own party, of corruption involving officials from both Dublin County Council and An Bord Pleanala.

Mr Burke, minister for justice at the time, said he was not aware of Mr Fay’s allegations until he heard his evidence today.

At Mr Burke’s sentencing last year at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Desmond Hogan said he had abused his special position as a member of the Dáil.

Mr Burke, from Griffith Downs, Drumcondra, north Dublin, had admitted in July 2004 to knowingly or wilfully furnishing incorrect information during a tax amnesty of 1993 by failing to declare income of €116,000.

He also pleaded guilty to knowingly or wilfully furnishing incorrect information to the Inspector of Taxes in December 2003, by failing to declare income of €30,000.

The court case came after seven years of investigations at the planning tribunal and a fraud probe by the Criminal Assets Bureau.

In 2002 the tribunal found he had received corrupt payments of almost €250,000, and the acquisition of his home in north Dublin was also found to be corrupt.

Mr Burke began his political career as a Fianna Fáil member of Dublin City Council in 1967 and served until 1978.

He was elected to Dáil Eireann in 1973 as TD for North Dublin and took up the Environment post in 1980 and 1982.

Between 1987 and 1989, he served as both Energy and Industry Minister, before becoming Justice Minister in 1989.

Mr Burke was Minister for Foreign Affairs in 1997, at a critical juncture in the Northern Ireland peace process, but walked out after just five months in the job.