A former Fine Gael councillor says she was ‘absolutely amazed’ when Democratic Left representatives voted in favour of a south Dublin rezoning.
Mary Muldoon told the Mahon Tribunal that the three Democratic Left councillors went against their usual voting record by supporting Ballycullen rezoning in 1992.
She said there was a rezoning majority at the time in Dublin County Council but it usually consisted of Fianna Fáil, three quarters of Fine Gael and a couple of Progressive Democratic councillors.
Ms Muldoon said she opposed the rezoning because of a lack of infrastructure in the area and because she wanted to preserve a green belt near the foothills of the Dublin mountains.
She said the owner of Ballycullen farms, Chris Jones, and his financial controller, Derry Hussey, called to her home to get her support for the rezoning in October 1992.
After she refused to support the rezoning she said Mr Jones turned around, shook her hand and said; ‘It’s nice to meet an honest politician’.
She said she was shocked as she did not realise she was such a ‘rare breed’.
In answer to questioning by tribunal judges, she said she had suspected some councillors were receiving inducements because they were supporting rezonings that logically they should have opposed.
Ms Muldoon said she complained to then Fine Gael leader John Bruton about the rezoning voting by party members during a meeting in Conway’s Pub in 1993 but says her concerns were dismissed.
Ms Muldoon left Fine Gael in 1996 and became an Independent councillor for a time.
