Opposition fury at the draft terms of reference for a new Tribunal of Inquiry into planning in North County Dublin has caused a postponement of a Dail debate on the matter and forced the Government to prepare amendments. The storm of Opposition protest arose when it emerged that the £30,000 payment to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Burke, was not explicitly mentioned in the terms of reference published last night.
It also emerged yesterday that a Newry firm of solicitors has told ail party leaders it has 52 allegations concerning planning and rezoning in the State, particularly in Dublin.
In a letter sent yesterday, Donnelly, Neary and Donnelly also said allegations concerning 726 acres of land at the centre of the present controversy "relate to more than one elected representative".
This law firm acts on behalf of the sponsors of a £10,000 reward, offered two years ago, by unnamed individuals in exchange for information leading to a conviction of anybody guilty of corruption in the planning process. Six of the allegations received by the Newry solicitors have been forwarded to the Garda.
It is understood a separate allegation was made to the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, last Thursday concerning an elected representative who is not Mr Burke.
Fine Gael, Labour and the Green Party claimed that the terms of reference, as drafted for the new tribunal, actually excluded the payment to Mr Burke by Joseph Murphy Structural Engineering in 1989. They maintained that, as drafted, the terms of reference meant that Mr Burke could avoid being called to give evidence.
A Government spokesman last night confirmed that the coalition would table its own amendments and he denied Opposition claims that Mr Burke could, in fact, be excluded from the judicial inquiry under the terms of reference as they stand.