The property developer Mr Tom Gilmartin last night denied a claim by Dublin Corporation that he owes it £400,000 arising from a land deal in 1990.
Members of the corporation's planning committee were told the money is due in interest to Dublin Corporation following a delay in the closure of the sale of 69 acres at Quarryvale for £5.1 million to Mr Gilmartin.
However, Mr Gilmartin said it was the corporation which had delayed the sale and the attempt to make him pay interest was a "try on". He claimed an attempt was now being made to discredit him.
He was responding after the committee heard a report yesterday on the sale of Quarryvale and the proposed development of a site by Arlington PLC at Bachelor's Walk.
The councillors described the two-page report as "totally inadequate, flimsy and unsatisfactory" and passed a motion demanding that a more comprehensive report be drawn up immediately.
The report referred to the interest owed to the corporation and said: "Interest totalling £404,611.35 accrued and although High Court proceedings for the recovery of this interest had issued in 1993, advice available to the corporation resulted in the corporation deciding not to proceed further at that time."
The assistant city manager, Mr Sean Carey, said the individual had "insufficiency of assets" and it was decided in 1993 to "leave it". He said interest rates at the time were very high. There was no sensible basis for proceeding for the recovery of it. He could not go into the details for the delay in the closure of the sale without more research.
Councillors said the corporation was well able to pursue tenants for arrears of rents, while Father F.X. Martin was pursued for his costs for years after the Wood Quay court action. Mr Sean Dublin Bay Loftus told the meeting he had been pursued for the costs of a case he had taken against the corporation regarding Dublin Bay.
Councillors felt the former city and assistant managers should be asked to throw light on the sale of the two sites. They also believed the corporation should open proceedings to recover the £404,611.
??????an Cuffe, who said they could not get into issues which were a matter for the Flood Tribunal. Fianna Fail members said Labour councillors were trying drag these things into the meeting to "cast a slur on the members of the former council".
A proposal by Ms Roisin Shortall TD that a more comprehensive report be submitted to the next meeting of the city council was agreed.
She also wanted details of meetings held between June 1989 and February 1990 at which the site was discussed; details of all representations, by letter, telephone or in person by councillors concerning the land; and details of any representations made by Dublin County Council members or officials, politicians or public officials concerning the land.
Mr Sean Kenny said it was unsatisfactory that there were no records available of meetings to discuss the disposal of property worth several millions.
Mr Carey said that if they found any more information, minutes or details they would make them available to the members in the corporation offices.
Senator Joe Costello asked if they could not re-institute proceedings against the developer for the interest. He wanted to know why a decision had been made not to pursue the money. This was money due to the taxpayer. There should be much more information about all the "to-ing and fro-ing" that usually took place before the sale of a big site, he said.
Mr Alan Robinson wanted to know if there were any public representatives present at the meetings before the sale. He wanted to know if it was usual to have no records of meetings at that level. Who had given the advice that Mr Gilmartin was not in a position to pay the large sum in interest?
The report said that Mr Gilmartin's tender was recommended to the council for acceptance by the corporation's chief valuer. The council agreed to the recommendation on June 12th, 1989.