The largest corruption investigation in the history of the State has started with a preliminary hearing by the Flood tribunal into the first of dozens of controversial land rezonings it will examine over the next two years.
The tribunal yesterday granted legal representation to six politicians who allegedly received payments from the lobbyist Mr Frank Dunlop in connection with the rezoning of lands at Carrickmines, Co Dublin, in the early 1990s. Three more politicians on Mr Dunlop's list either did not seek representation or are deceased.
The Irish Times understands that Mr Dunlop will tell the tribunal that he paid £5,000 to a former independent councillor, Mr John O'Halloran, some of which was related to the Carrickmines lands.
Mr Dunlop will also say he paid £3,000 each to Senator Don Lydon of Fianna Fáil and the late Cllr Tom Hand of Fine Gael.
Payments of £2,000 were made to former senator Mr Liam Cosgrave of Fine Gael, Cllr Tony Fox of Fianna Fáil and former Fianna Fáil Cllr Colm McGrath, Mr Dunlop will tell the tribunal.
The lobbyist and former Government press secretary says he paid £1,000 each to deceased councillors Mr Jack Larkin and Mr Cyril Gallagher, both of Fianna Fáil, as well as another Fianna Fáil councillor who did not seek representation at yesterday's brief hearing.
All of the councillors involved deny Mr Dunlop's allegations. In particular, they deny any election contributions they received were linked to their votes on rezoning.
Further payments were made to other councillors in respect of a second attempt to rezone the Carrickmines lands in the late 1990s, according to Mr Dunlop. This will be examined next year.
Whereas the hearings of the tribunal up to now have largely centred on one man - Ray Burke - this phase of its investigations will examine Mr Dunlop's claim that a "nexus" of councillors offered their support on rezoning motions in return for cash.
Full hearings into the Carrickmines rezoning will begin towards the end of November and are expected to last several months. After that, the tribunal will successively examine other rezoning decisions where allegations of payments have been made.
Yesterday, Mr Justice Flood granted legal representation to all the politicians who sought it, with the exception of Mr Larry Butler of Fianna Fáil. Mr Dunlop has not alleged that he paid money to Mr Butler in connection with the rezoning of the Carrickmines land in the early 1990s.
The chairman also granted representation to the controversial owner of the lands, Jackson Way Properties. For the first time, the company identified the solicitor, Mr John Caldwell, as a beneficial owner.
Aside from one day last December, the tribunal had not sat since October 2001. It is not scheduled to resume until November 19th at the earliest.
Building on the success of last month's interim report, which has sold over 20,000 copies, the tribunal is now making its daily transcripts available on the Internet, at www.flood-tribunal.ie
