No friendship existed between former Fianna Fáil TD Mr Liam Lawlor and retired assistant Dublin city and county manager, George Redmond, the two men have told the tribunal.
Mr Lawlor, who cross-examined Redmond yesterday, said his only dealings with the former official were on a formal deputy or county councillor basis.
The notion that there was a close personal friendship between them had gained "a foot" in the media in recent years, he said, but this "never existed".
Redmond agreed, saying he had never been in Mr Lawlor's house or gardens, and had never attended any social event with the former TD or his family.
Mr Lawlor said the fact was that many of his dealings with Redmond had been "fraught and acrimonious". He instanced an occasion when he led opposition among councillors to the imposition of water charges by the council. On another occasion, he had tried to block a multi-million pound compensation payment to builders Brennan and McGowan.
(In March 1989, one of Brennan and McGowan's companies, Grange Developments, received the largest payment in planning history when Redmond signed a cheque on behalf of the council for £1.9 million. He claimed the council faced bankruptcy if it didn't meet the compensation claim.)
Earlier, Redmond said he had remained unaware of Mr Tom Gilmartin's allegations about him until the tribunal distributed its legal papers in advance of the present hearings.
Mr Lawlor referred to Mr Gilmartin's evidence in relation to a stormy meeting the developer had with Redmond and other council officials in 1988. Mr Gilmartin has told the tribunal that the assistant city manager, Mr Seán Haughey - a brother of the then Taoiseach, Charles Haughey - had asked Redmond what was going on, to which Redmond allegedly replied "ask your brother". Mr Lawlor said it seemed from this evidence that Mr Seán Haughey was present to represent his brother's interest.
However, tribunal lawyers said this meaning could not be taken from the exchange.
Redmond said he had no recollection of having said the words quoted.
