The Flood Tribunal has heard that a Dublin county councillor was paid £30,000 in 1993 to get land rezoned. Maynooth auctioneer, William Coonan, said that the councillor initially demanded £50,000 and constantly harassed him for the money. The councillor's identity will not yet be made public, but Mr Coonan said it was not a member of Fine Gael.
William Coonan was acting for clients in Dublin who wanted their agricultural land rezoned in the 1993 development plan. He said that he wrote to a number of county councillors but one in particular made a big play of what he could do to help. He later demanded £50,000 and said that he would share it with other councillors who were favourable to rezoning.
Mr Coonan said that he was constantly hassled for the money and eventually his clients agreed to pay £30,000. It was all paid in cash, the first half of the payment was made in the car park of the Spa Hotel in Lucan and the second in a car in Maynooth. He said he was told the money was only an entry fee. If they did not pay there was no chance of it even being considered for re-zoning. The councillor later demanded more money when progress was made on the rezoning but his clients refused to pay. Mr Coonan wrote the names of his clients and the councillor on a sheet of paper but they wil not be made public yet.
