A Fianna Fáil TD has told the Flood Tribunal it was common for county councillors to sign rezoning motions for land outside their area for political motives.
Cllr Charlie O'Connor, who represented the Tallaght area on Dublin County Council, signed a rezoning motion for land in Carrickmines in 1992, which is currently under investigation by the Tribunal.
The Dublin South West TD said he did so because the late Fine Gael councillor, Tom Hand, had asked him to do so.
In this case, he said, it was merely to facilitate a debate on the land at a council meeting. He said it was custom and practice for councillors from outside an area to sign rezoning motions for political reasons.
The motion was later withdrawn.
Judge Alan Mahon said it appeared from his evidence that motions were being bandied about and councillors signed them without knowing anything about them. He asked if this was a correct way to do business, and if it was not a very serious indictment of the system.
Deputy O'Connor said he saw nothing wrong in signing the motion at the time, but he would do things differently now.
