Don Lydon - Lead Councillor

Lead Councillor

Bill O'Herlihy a public relations consultant retained by Monarch Properties in 1991, told the Tribunal on 7 June 2006 that he was told by Mr. Richard Lynn in the bar of the Royal Dublin hotel that members of Dublin County Council were alleged to pocket £50,000 per year in return for favourable planning decisions. This 'hearsay evidence' indicated that transaction process involved a property developer developing a bilateral relationship with a lead councillor. The lead councillor would then determine with colleagues what exactly was required to secure a particular vote on a planning or rezoning matter. The lead councillor cited by O'Herlihy in respect of Monarch's interests was Lydon. Lynn told the Tribunal that he had never told this to O'Herlihy and stated that he was not in the Royal Dublin at the time specified by O'Herlihy but was actually at a meeting of Dublin County Council. This appears to have been confirmed by Dunlop's evidence to the Tribunal.

Lydon, in evidence, on 19 July 2006 also disputed O'Herlihy's allegation but did acknowledge that Monarch Properties used to take large numbers of councillors to restaurants "all over the place" when planning decisions in respect of Cherrywood were pending and that he proposed a Monarch related motion on 27 May 1992. Lydon told the Tribunal on 19 July 2006 that the allegations made against him had damaged his chances of getting elected for a sixth term to the Seanad. It was accepted on Lydon's behalf on 25 July that a Tribunal has the discretion to accept hearsay evidence in the common good.

The Tribunal has been requested to rule on the admissibility of O'Herlihy's hearsay evidence which it did on 27 July noting that Lydon had been afforded an opportunity to challenging such evidence, which he has already done.