UDC chairman denies conflict of interest query
NAAS, 18 May 2000: by Brian Byrne & Trish Whelan. Naas UDC chairman Seamie Moore has denied that there might be a conflict of interest if he chairs a meeting of the council with Naas GAA next Tuesday.
At this weeks monthly meeting of the UDC, Cllr Mary Glennon suggested that because the meeting involved a situation between the GAA and the developers of Oldtown Estate, Lehmex International Limited, for proprietys sake it might be better if the vice-chairman, Cllr Pat O'Reilly, chaired the session.
When Cllr Moore queried Cllr Glennon's reasons for her suggestion, she asked the chairman if he was involved with the developers in any fiduciary way. Cllr Moore replied that he had 'no fiduciary interest' in Lehmex International or Millennium Park. Cllr Glennon said that it appeared from literature he himself had circulated that Cllr Moore was employed by a principal of Lehmex. Eventually Cllr Moore declared emphatically that he did not work for a principal of Lehmex'. Cllr Glennon then said she had to accept his word for it.
When the meeting ended, Cllr Moore refused to comment further on the issue, answering repeated queries only by saying 'ask her', pointing to Cllr Glennon.
According to documents in the Companies Registration Office, Gerald Conlan, of 23 Thornbrook, Naas, became a director of Lehmex International Limited on 23 December 1998. Among his other current directorships he listed Oakchurch Limited, of West Bank House in Newbridge. Oakchurch has a business address at Tully Road, Kildare.
In a letter (below) to a potential customer at the end of last November, Seamie Moore describes himself as sales manager of Oakchurch Limited, a company selling mature trees. The letter lists the directors of Oakchurch as P Conlan and G Conlan.
In the Oakchurch accounts for the year ended 31 March 1999, lodged at the Companies Registration Office on February 10 2000, Gerard (sic) Conlan is recorded as having retired as a director during the year, leaving Patrick Conlan and Helen Conlan as current directors.
Lehmex is the primary developer of Oldtown Estate and of the planned Millennium Park, though various aspects of the development are currently being progressed by a number of other companies, including Quando Ltd and Bandenberry Ltd. Both properties benefited from rezoning in the 1999 Naas UDC Development Plan. Cllr Moore supported the plan, which was adopted after a 6-3 vote in the council.
Cllr Glennon and fellow independent Cllr Anthony Egan, along with Labour's Cllr Pat McCarthy, were elected to Naas UDC in 1999 on policies based in opposition to the Naas Development Plan. Between them they polled more than 50% of the total vote cast in the election.
As reported by KNN last week, Naas GAA have been trying for some time to have a meeting with the full council to discuss concerns about a proposed move to a site at Oldtown, which was part of the negotiations for the rezoning of the demesne formerly owned by Major John de Burgh. After an unusually extended in committee meeting of the council last Tuesday prior to the public session, Cllr Moore announced that the members of the UDC would meet with the clubs representatives next Tuesday. (©2000brianbyrnetrishwhelan.)
|
Kildare has many authors of both fiction and non-fiction. We have a special page available to promote their work, which you can access here. Please support those of your county people who travel the long and often lonely road of the pen and typewriter to tell you stories.
|
|