Two Fianna Fáil Oireachtas members have said they failed to reveal donations to an internal party inquiry. Senator Don Lydon told the tribunal yesterday he forgot to tell the Fianna Fáil inquiry into payments to politicians about the £7,000 he received from Dublin landowner Christopher Jones in 1992.
Later, GV Wright TD admitted he gave incorrect information to the inquiry held in the aftermath of Frank Dunlop's allegations about corruption in 2000. Mr Wright told the inquiry he got a £500 donation from one of Mr Jones's companies; in fact, the tribunal has established he got a £5,000 donation in November 1992, as well as £500 in 1997.
Mr Lydon seconded the motion to rezone Mr Jones's land at Ballycullen in south Dublin in October 1992, and Mr Wright voted for the change. However, both men stressed that the payments they received were political donations and did not influence their votes.
Mr Lydon agreed a £5,000 payment from Mr Jones was the joint largest contribution he had received. He explained the Fianna Fáil inquiry had asked "only a few questions" and his memory had been refreshed since by documents available to the tribunal. He denied an allegation by lobbyist Frank Dunlop that he paid Mr Lydon £2,000 to sign the Ballycullen rezoning motion.
He was "absolutely certain" Mr Dunlop had not made this payment. In his time as a councillor he had never voted for any motion in return for money from Mr Dunlop. Mr Lydon initially said he did not know Mr Dunlop was involved in lobbying to have Ballycullen rezoned, but under questioning he agreed that he was in contact with the lobbyist in the weeks running up to the vote. Asked why he had forgotten this, he said Mr Dunlop was not an important man in his life.
Pat Quinn SC, for the tribunal, pointed out that £1,900 was lodged to the politician's joint account with his wife within six days of the date Mr Dunlop alleges he made the £2,000 payment in October 1992. Mr Lydon explained this was a lodgement from his own cash. He always kept cash in hand as his wife dabbled in antiques.
Mr Jones gave him £2,000 for his election campaign in April 1992, he said. He lodged the cheque to a joint account he kept with his wife. While the payment was a political donation, it was also given in appreciation of unpaid professional services he had provided for a relative of Mr Jones.
Mr Lydon's lawyers said their client, a clinical psychologist, was professionally bound from disclosing the identity of this person. In November 1992, several weeks after the vote, Mr Jones gave him a cheque for £5,000 when they met by chance in the Goat Grill.
Mr Lydon said he hadn't told Fianna Fáil about the money. It was nothing to do with them.
The money was given because a Senate election campaign was coming up. He lodged the cheque, dated November 12th, 1992, to his wife's account. Mr Lydon agreed it was "an awful lot of money". He had only expected £1,000 or so.
Judge Alan Mahon asked why he expected anything. Did he not see anything wrong in accepting the money? "Not in the slightest," the witness replied. "If he wants to give me money, it's his business." Mr Wright said he had made it clear to the Fianna Fáil inquiry that he got a donation from Mr Jones. However, he accepted that he incorrectly told the inquiry he had checked the amount with Mr Jones when he hadn't. He voted for Ballycullen on its own merits, not for any other reason. He was pro-business, pro-development and pro-jobs. He didn't regard Mr Jones's payment as an inducement and believed it was given to help him win a Dáil seat in Dublin North.
Former Fianna Fáil councillor Ned Ryan acknowledged getting a £1,000 donation from Mr Jones in late 1992. He also voted in favour of the rezoning of Ballycullen. Mr Ryan said the donation was unexpected but pointed out that he was a candidate in the 1993 Senate election.
He denied having any contact with Mr Dunlop on planning issues but explained evidence of phone contact with the lobbyist in the run-up to the Ballycullen vote by saying it arose from his daughter's interest in going into public relations. Senator Ann Ormonde and councillor John Hannon also acknowledged receiving unsolicited £1,000 political donations from Mr Jones at this time.
