Kitt 'forgot' to disclose £2,000 donation
Monday, 6 March 2006 23:47
Government Chief Whip Tom Kitt has told the Mahon Tribunal he forgot about a donation of £2,000 he received from a south Dublin developer.
Mr Kitt told the tribunal today that he regretted a reply given to the inquiry last month was not as 'comprehensive' as it should have been.
Mr Kitt had acknowledged two payments of £500, one in 1991 and another in 1996, from landowner Chris Jones who wanted to get his land in Ballycullen rezoned.
However, Mr Kitt's reply to the tribunal on 1 February had failed to reveal a payment of £2,000 in November 1992 which he acknowledged was the largest donation he had received at that time.
Mr Kitt said this payment was not revealed to the Fianna Fáil inquiry because he was not a county councillor at the time as he became a minister of state in February 1992.
In all Mr Kitt received £3,650 with another donation of £650 in 2002.
He acknowledged that even when he was no longer a councillor he continued to be lobbied by Mr Jones's employee, Frank Brooks, as he was still a TD for the neighbouring area and represented residents' concerns.
Mr Kitt also said he was not aware of any concerns about corruption while a member of Dublin County Council between 1979 and 1992.
Mr Kitt said he does not recall discussing the issue of payments to councillors in a conversation with Mary Harney in the late 1980s as described in her evidence.
He said he was aware of newspaper articles about corruption in the planning process but there was no internal discussion in the council.
- News At One: John Kilraine reports on comments by Government Chief Whip Tom Kitt at the Mahon Tribunal
- Nine News: John Kilraine reports from the Mahon Tribunal, where Tom Kitt today acknowledged his earlier statement was incomplete
- Six One News: John Kilraine reports on over ¤3,000 in payments made to Government Chief Whip Tom Kitt
