Gilmartin: Reynolds may have interfered in Quarryvale

Property developer Tom Gilmartin has said he suspects former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds may have helped to frustrate his efforts to develop a shopping centre at the Quarryvale site in Dublin.

Mr Gilmartin resumed his evidence to the Mahon Tribunal this morning after a week-long break due to illness.

He told the tribunal that Dublin County Council had allowed him to incorporate a large piece of land into the proposed Quarryvale site.

However, he suggested that rival developer Owen O'Callaghan got the then Minister for Finance Albert Reynolds to interfere in the project in 1990.

Mr Gilmartin claimed Mr Callaghan got Mr Reynolds to ask the IDA to approach the local authority with a request for the land.

He said the reason for this was to prevent him from acquiring the property.

The developer said he mentioned the IDA situation to Mr O'Callaghan, who scoffed at the idea that Mr Gilmartin no longer had the site.

He claimed Mr O'Callaghan said: "Albert has seen to that."