PD senator before Mahon probe

A Progressive Democrat senator has said he cannot explain exactly why he supported a south Dublin rezoning for Monarch Properties who later gave him donations totaling £1,250.

However, Tom Morrissey told the Mahon Tribunal that his voting was never influenced in any way as a county councillor and he claimed he once turned down a £30,000 bribe in relation to another matter.

Mr Morissey was asked why he changed his voting to support higher density housing on land owned by Monarch Properties in Cherrywood in south Dublin in 1993 while a councillor for Fine Gael.

The tribunal heard that he supported a motion that allowed four houses per acre on land owned by Monarch but restricted other landowners in the area to one house per acre.

Mr Morrissey agreed it did appear arbitrary and that he had previously opposed higher density housing in the area.

However, he said he was allowed to change his mind after listening to arguments from officials and other councillors although he could not say at this remove what the arguments were.

Mr Morrissey said he could not remember being taken out for meals on four occasions in 1993 by Monarch executive Richard Lynn that were recorded as company expenses.

He received a £500 cheque from Monarch Properties in January 1994 shortly after another meal with Mr Lynn and received another £750 in March 1996.

But Mr Morissey said the payments were political donations that he had not requested.

He said he voted independently and pointed out that he once voted against a motion he himself had proposed at the request of Mr Lynn concerning Monarch land in Sommerton, west Dublin.

He also told the tribunal that he had once turned down a £30,000 inducement, details of which he wrote down on a piece of paper for the tribunal judges.