Republican News · Thursday 31 October 2002

Rabbitte and the Flood Tribunal

It was not until former Fianna Fáil Press secretary and political lobbyist Frank Dunlop exposed the details of his cash for planning votes slush fund that it was also revealed Pat Rabbitte failed to inform the Flood Tribunal that he had received a cash payment from Dunlop. Dunlop was seeking support from councillors to rezone land in Quarryvale, west Dublin, where the Liffey Valley shopping mall was built.

The Flood Tribunal had written to Rabbitte and other councillors in December 1999. Dunlop's revelations to the Flood Tribunal began in May 2000. Rabbitte had taken £2,000 from Dunlop in 1992 before the Leinster House election. He later returned the money to Dunlop.

The former Workers' Party leaders Tomas Mac Giolla claimed in a May 2000 radio interview that, "It was a matter of serious disquiet in 1991 when our three councillors on Dublin County Council, Mr Rabbitte, Mr Eamon Gilmore and Mr Don Tipping, departed from the vital council meeting before the vote on the Quarryvale rezoning proposal took place".

Rabbitte said he had to be in Leinster House to support a Local Government Bill and hung up on the radio show after being asked by presenter Myles Dungan why he had told a programme researcher that he had not received money from Dunlop.