One of the world's largest companies, General Electric last night received an apology from Socialist Party TD, Joe Higgins, following his allegation that the company had tried to swindle the Industrial Development Authority.
In the Dáil last month, Mr Higgins claimed that GE had set up "puppet companies" to gain ownership of Ida-owned land at the Clonshaugh Industrial Estate in north Dublin.
Making a one-minute personal statement to the Dáil, Mr Higgins said he had been told that GE had been "involved in an illegal manoeuvre to compel the IDA to pay millions of euro for land belonging properly to the Irish people and that GE used these proceeds to finance pressurised redundancies at a company called Diamond Innovations.
"I am informed reliably that the company in the Clonshaugh Industrial Estate that was responsible for the legal scam at the expense of the taxpayer was not GE, or Diamond Innovations.
"I made the initial statement in good faith on the basis of information supplied. However, that information was incorrect.
"The statement that GE or Diamond Innovations was involved was incorrect and I wish to express my regret at that," he said.
Last night, a spokesman for General Electric said it had written to the Socialist Party TD immediately after he had made his allegation to tell him that the charges were unfounded.
"We are glad that he has now withdrawn them," said the spokesman, who said the matter was now ended as far as the multi-national company was concerned. Diamond Innovations could not be contacted.
Mr Higgins's allegation was made after the Government rushed through legislation in mid-May to prevent companies gaining ownership of land given to them on long leases by the IDA.
A still unidentified company sold on a company operating on an IDA-owned property, which then immediately tried to claim ownership of the property. Eventually, the IDA sold the land to them.
The company was not named by the Government, or the Opposition during the brief debate on the rushed legislation because Enterprise, Trade and Employment had signed a confidentiality agreement with the company in question.
