Former FG Cllr says over half of colleagues were corrupted

Just when you thought the Mahon Tribunal was only going to seriously affect Fianna Fáil then along comes former Fine Gael councillor Mary Muldoon and throws a spanner in the works.

Mary, who used to be a Dublin county councillor, has said that between 50 per cent and two-thirds of her colleagues were on the take. Speaking on Raidió na Gaeltachta's Glór Anoir today, she said that it was her belief that they were receiving sum of between IR£500 and IR£2,500 and calling them political donations.

Muldoon, who gave evidence to the Mahon planning corruption tribunal in 2006, said that there was a pressure within the accept these corrupt payments. She says she thinks that that the payment being declared as donations prevented the Tribunal properly investigating the whole problem.

She said that even within Fine Gael there was perception that a councillor would be ostracised if they didn't accept payments.

Mary also believes that her progression within the party was thwarted because she was a clean politician. During her evidence to the Tribunal she said that the owner of farm land trying to rezoned visited her home in 1992. She refused to vote for it and one of the men shook her hand and said: "It's nice to meet an honest politician".

This will provide much fodder for the diehard Ahern and Flynn supporters who will grasp at any straw to divert attention from their beloved former ministers. But, whatever way you look at it, it's not great news for Fine Gael.