Mahon Tribunal - All parties must stamp out sleaze

After twice denying that Frank Dunlop had informed him in 1993 that the late Tom Hand, a Fine Gael councillor, had demanded £250,000 to support the Quarryvale development, it is extraordinary that former taoiseach John Bruton told the Mahon Tribunal yesterday that he now remembers that Frank Dunlop did indeed tell him.

Mr Bruton suggests that he must have felt there was nothing he could do about the information, as it was only hearsay evidence. Astonishingly, he did not even bother to question Mr Hand.

Mr Bruton told the tribunal that even though he did not remember Mr Hand’s name being mentioned, he was taken aback at the time by the allegation. Yet he did nothing about it.