Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)

It is not enough time, one could speak for five years about the corruption that has occurred. In case some of my Opposition colleagues are wondering why I am sitting on the Government backbenches, I want to see if I can talk about planning and keep a straight face. Unfortunately, I cannot. However, I will try to bring some sense to the Government backbenches.

This issue is not simply about what happened previously and the revelation of the scurrilous activities of Mr. Ray Burke, other Fianna Fáil Deputies and Mr. George Redmond. George Redmond will, no doubt, read the reports of this debate tomorrow from a borrowed newspaper and still be oblivious to his involvement. His only response will be: "Oops, I got caught and they were all doing it".

What lessons have been learned? The Mahon report is damning about Mr. Redmond's involvement with the Forest Road lands and payments by Mr. Bailey to Mr. Redmond in 1988 and 1989. The only payment that did not fall within the tribunal's definition of corrupt payment was the payment of £15,000 at the Clontarf Castle Hotel in July 1989. It was compensation for not appointing Mr. Redmond as a consultant.

My colleagues have dealt with other aspects of the report so I intend to focus on the fact that county managers and assistant county managers can, within weeks of their retirement, get onto the cushy gravy train provided by developers. It is happening everywhere. The city manager was apparently oblivious to the carry on of Mr. Redmond. Another individual, Frank Kavanagh, within weeks of retiring from South Dublin County Council, rang me up. He said:

Hi, Paul, Jim Mansfield is doing a development in Citywest. It is a tourism golf development. Would you be interested in supporting it?

Surprisingly, I said:

It is out in Saggart where half the place is built already. It is well worth supporting. Of course, Frank, I will support you.

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