Dunlop pleads guilty to bribery
Former Government press secretary and lobbyist Frank Dunlop has pleaded guilty to bribing Dublin County Councillors to vote in favour of a land deal in the 90s.
Mr Dunlop (aged 61), of Rathbeggan, Dunboyne, Co Meath, admitted the charges at his first appearance at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
He pleaded guilty to bribing five councillors with amounts between €1,000 and €3,000 to induce them to vote in favour of designating a site in Carrickmines, south Dublin for industrial use.
Hs admitted to corruptly giving cash gifts to Fianna Fáil councillors, Tony Fox, Sean Gilbride and Colm McGrath and former senators Liam Cosgrave of Fine Gael and Don Lydon of Fianna Fáil.
The bribes were to induce the politicians to vote in favour of zoning the 108 acres at Carrickmines as "E", for industrial use, as part of the Dublin Development Plan.
The locations of the bribes included Buswells Hotel, the Davenport Hotel, the offices of Colm McGrath, St John of Gods and Dunlop's own office.
Prosecuting counsel, Mr Sean Gillane BL, told Judge Katherine Delahunt he would be dealing with evidence covering a five-year period between 1992 and 1997 and that it will take two hours to hear the facts before Dunlop is sentenced.
Judge Delahunt adjourned the case until next May. Dunlop's defence counsel, Mr Aidan Redmond BL (with Mr Remy Farrell BL) asked that he be remanded on bail until that date.
Dunlop was charged last November with 16 counts of bribing local councillors in relation to land in Carrickmines, south Dublin. However he will only face five sample charges while the rest will be taken into consideration.
Fianna Fáil Councillors Jack Larkin and Cyril Gallagher and Fine Gael Councillor Tom Hand, all deceased, were also named on the charge sheet but pleas were not sought in relation to them.
When he was initially charged in the District Court he indicated his intention to plead guilty by telling the Criminal Assets Bureau officers who charged him: "We always knew this day was coming and I will not be contesting the charges."
The case was brought more than eight years after Dunlop first revealed his involvement in corruption at the Flood Tribunal, the long-running inquiry which probed allegations of payments being made in connection with planning matters.
He admitted the bribes – between 1992 and 1997 – were paid to induce the politicians to vote in favour of zoning the 108 acres at Carrickmines as E, for industrial use, as part of the Dublin Development Plan.
Councillors named on the remaining charges, which will be taken into consideration at his sentencing, include Fianna Fail’s Jack Larkin and Cyril Gallagher and Fine Gael’s Tom Hand, all deceased.
