LABOUR'S PROUD TRACK RECORD ON PLANNING CORRUPTION AND THE MAHON TRIBUNAL
Friday, 23 March 2012
Friday, 23 March 2012
The attempt in some quarters to paint all politicians and all political parties with the same brush in the wake of the Mahon Report, does not stand up to scrutiny. The Labour Party has a proud record of standing up and speaking out against what has now proven by the Mahon Report to have been corrupt practices.
It is important to note that in 1993 the Labour Party expelled the one and only one public representative linked to Labour that the Mahon report is critical of.
John O’Halloran was elected as councillor in Lucan in 1991. In September 1993 he was expelled from the Labour Party as a result of his voting record on planning matters while a member of Dublin County Council.
Labour was proactive in dealing with such issues as they arose and had no need to wait for a tribunal to be called or for its findings to be published to act decisively.
In contrast to others, Labour councillors on Dublin County Council had a proud record when it comes to planning matters. Specifically mentioned in the Mahon Report are Pat Rabbitte’s actions in returning a cheque to Frank Dunlop in 1992 (p1068), and Eamon Gilmore’s decision to refuse a cheque from Monarch developers also in 1992 (p1579), both of which were described by the Tribunal as ‘commendable’. Joan Burton’s consistent record in opposing rezoning at Quarryvale is also highlighted. (p868).
I will be speaking on the Mahon Tribunal in the Dáil next week.
