Former lobbyist Frank Dunlop has told the Mahon Tribunal that developer Owen O'Callaghan funded a councillor's leave of absence from a teaching job so he could work full time on his Quarryvale development.
Mr Dunlop admitted it would have caused controversy if it had been revealed that Fianna Fáil councillor Sean Gilbride had received monthly payments from the developer when he voted on the Quarryvale development in 1993.
Mr Dunlop said he found out by accident that Mr Gilbride had an agreement with Mr O'Callaghan to be paid £1,750 a month.
He said when he checked he was told Mr Gilbride was in effect acting as a consultant for Mr O'Callaghan and the money was to cover his loss of teacher's salary.
Although other councillors commented that Mr Gilbride was no longer working with the VEC it was not common knowledge that he was being paid by Mr O'Callaghan before the final Quarryvale vote in November 1993.
Mr Dunlop said he had already paid a £12,000 bribe to Mr Gilbride to support Quarryvale in 1991 but did not discuss this with Mr O'Callaghan.
In his statement to the tribunal Mr O'Callaghan said he paid Mr Gilbride a total of £15,500 in monthly payments.
But he said this was to allow Mr Gilbride to concentrate full time on the general election and Seanad election.
