The former Minister for Transport, Brian Cowen, says he decided to back a private development near Dublin Airport as part of Government modernisation policy.
Mr Cowen told the Mahon Tribunal that Aer Rianta showed institutional arrogance in its objections to the Cargobridge development.
He said a representation from a cabinet colleague, the then Enterprise Minister Ruairi Quinn, had an impact on his thinking.
Mr Quinn asked him to support Cargobridge's warehouse development in the light of the Culliton Report which urged the Government to modernise port facilities by allowing competition to semi-State bodies.
Mr Cowen said Aer Rianta was opposed to the development but had shown institutional arrogance by failing to come up with proper development plans.
And he pointed out that Aer Rianta had previously been refused a compulsory purchase order for the land.
Mr Cowen changed department policy by agreeing to grant Cargobridge commercial access through lands owned by the department in advance of planning permission.
He said he does not recall details of a meeting with lobbyist Frank Dunlop in November 1993 but said there was nothing wrong with giving him information on this change of Government position.
