Liam T. Cosgrave
Encyclopedia
Liam Thomas Cosgrave is a former Fine Gael
politician in the Republic of Ireland
.
Coming from a political family, he is the son of former Taoiseach
Liam Cosgrave
and grandson of the first President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State
W. T. Cosgrave.
at the 1981 general election
as Teachta Dála
for the Dún Laoghaire
and re-elected at the February 1982 and November 1982 general elections. He lost his seat at the 1987 general election
, and was unsuccessful again at the 1989
and 1992 general election
s.
In 1993 he was elected to Seanad Éireann
on the Industrial and Commercial Panel, serving as Cathaoirleach
, and was re-elected in 1997 to the 21st Seanad. At the 2002 general election
he was again an unsuccessful candidate for the Dáil in Dún Laoghaire, and he did not contest the Seanad elections of that year.
In 2003, The Mahon Tribunal
, set up to investigate allegations of corruption among Irish politicians, heard that Cosgrave had accepted illegal payments from property developers in return for voting to rezone property in Dublin. He resigned from the Fine Gael party when this became known, thereby effectively ending his political career.
Cosgrave did not seek re-election to Dún Laoghaire - Rathdown County Council in the 2004 local elections.
On 17 October 2005, Cosgrave pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to disclose to the Standards in Public Office Commission a political donation of £2,500 received from lobbyist Frank Dunlop in the course of the 1997 general election. He was sentenced on 26 May 2006 to perform 75 hours of community service in lieu of a 6-month custodial sentence.
on 14 July 2006 in relation to a planning application from Monarch Properties to rezone 236 acre (0.95505896 km²) at Cherrywood, County Dublin.
He told the Tribunal that his decision to support the rezoning was not a U-turn in return for a political donation. But he could not recall the reason for his decision. He said he could not recollect whether he had received any donations from Monarch, or other developers at this time. But there could have been some.
has secured a High Court order preventing the sale of 107 acre (0.43301402 km²) of land assets owned by Jackson Way Properties Ltd in Carrickmines. This investigation of corruption
is being instituted on the basis of bribes allegedly paid to councillors by Frank Dunlop
to secure rezoning on 16 December 1997. This rezoning was investigated by The Mahon Tribunal
in 2003.
On the 26th of October 2010, Liam T Cosgrave appeared at Dublin District Court charged with five offences. He is alleged to have received corrupt payments between 1992 and 1997 in relation to the re-zoning of Jackson Way Properties Ltd.
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
politician in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
.
Coming from a political family, he is the son of former Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
Liam Cosgrave
Liam Cosgrave
Liam Cosgrave is an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as Taoiseach and as Leader of Fine Gael . He was a Teachta Dála from 1943 to 1981....
and grandson of the first President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State
President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State
The President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State was the head of government or prime minister of the Irish Free State which existed from 1922 to 1937...
W. T. Cosgrave.
Politics
He was elected to Dáil ÉireannDáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
at the 1981 general election
Irish general election, 1981
The Irish general election of 1981 was held on 11 June 1981, three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 21 May. The newly elected 166 members of the 22nd Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 30 June when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed....
as Teachta Dála
Teachta Dála
A Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
for the Dún Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Dún Laoghaire is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 4 deputies...
and re-elected at the February 1982 and November 1982 general elections. He lost his seat at the 1987 general election
Irish general election, 1987
The Irish general election of 1987 was held on 17 February 1987, four weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 20 January. The newly-elected 166 members of the 25th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 10 March when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed.The general election took place in...
, and was unsuccessful again at the 1989
Irish general election, 1989
The Irish general election of 1989 was held on Thursday, 15 June 1989, three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 25 May. The newly elected 166 members of the 26th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 29 June...
and 1992 general election
Irish general election, 1992
The Irish general election of 1992 was held on Wednesday, 25 November 1992, almost three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 5 November. However, after difficulties in forming a government the newly elected 166 members of the 27th Dáil did not assemble at Leinster House until 4 January 1993...
s.
In 1993 he was elected to Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...
on the Industrial and Commercial Panel, serving as Cathaoirleach
Cathaoirleach
Cathaoirleach is the title of the chairman of Seanad Éireann, the sixty-member upper house of the Oireachtas, the legislature of Ireland. The current Cathaoirleach is Senator Paddy Burke...
, and was re-elected in 1997 to the 21st Seanad. At the 2002 general election
Irish general election, 2002
The Irish general election of 2002 was held on Friday, 17 May 2002 just over three weeks after the dissolution of the 28th Dáil on Thursday 25 April by President Mary McAleese, at the request of the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern...
he was again an unsuccessful candidate for the Dáil in Dún Laoghaire, and he did not contest the Seanad elections of that year.
In 2003, The Mahon Tribunal
The Mahon Tribunal
The Tribunal of Inquiry Into Certain Planning Matters and Payments, commonly known as the Mahon Tribunal, is a public inquiry in Ireland established by Dáil Éireann in 1997 to investigate allegations of corrupt payments to politicians regarding political decisions...
, set up to investigate allegations of corruption among Irish politicians, heard that Cosgrave had accepted illegal payments from property developers in return for voting to rezone property in Dublin. He resigned from the Fine Gael party when this became known, thereby effectively ending his political career.
Cosgrave did not seek re-election to Dún Laoghaire - Rathdown County Council in the 2004 local elections.
On 17 October 2005, Cosgrave pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to disclose to the Standards in Public Office Commission a political donation of £2,500 received from lobbyist Frank Dunlop in the course of the 1997 general election. He was sentenced on 26 May 2006 to perform 75 hours of community service in lieu of a 6-month custodial sentence.
The Mahon Tribunal
Cosgrave appeared at The Mahon TribunalThe Mahon Tribunal
The Tribunal of Inquiry Into Certain Planning Matters and Payments, commonly known as the Mahon Tribunal, is a public inquiry in Ireland established by Dáil Éireann in 1997 to investigate allegations of corrupt payments to politicians regarding political decisions...
on 14 July 2006 in relation to a planning application from Monarch Properties to rezone 236 acre (0.95505896 km²) at Cherrywood, County Dublin.
He told the Tribunal that his decision to support the rezoning was not a U-turn in return for a political donation. But he could not recall the reason for his decision. He said he could not recollect whether he had received any donations from Monarch, or other developers at this time. But there could have been some.
Criminal Assets Bureau Investigation
The Criminal Assets BureauCriminal Assets Bureau
The Criminal Assets Bureau is a law enforcement agency in Ireland, the purpose of which is to recover the proceeds of organised crime. It is a division of the Garda , but reports annually to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform...
has secured a High Court order preventing the sale of 107 acre (0.43301402 km²) of land assets owned by Jackson Way Properties Ltd in Carrickmines. This investigation of corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
is being instituted on the basis of bribes allegedly paid to councillors by Frank Dunlop
Frank Dunlop
Frank Dunlop is an Irish lobbyist and former broadcast journalist with Raidió Teilifís Éireann . Originally from County Kilkenny, he is a key witness to the Mahon Tribunal which is investigating improper payments by property developers to Irish politicians and will be a key witness in pending...
to secure rezoning on 16 December 1997. This rezoning was investigated by The Mahon Tribunal
The Mahon Tribunal
The Tribunal of Inquiry Into Certain Planning Matters and Payments, commonly known as the Mahon Tribunal, is a public inquiry in Ireland established by Dáil Éireann in 1997 to investigate allegations of corrupt payments to politicians regarding political decisions...
in 2003.
On the 26th of October 2010, Liam T Cosgrave appeared at Dublin District Court charged with five offences. He is alleged to have received corrupt payments between 1992 and 1997 in relation to the re-zoning of Jackson Way Properties Ltd.
External links
- Cosgrave pleads guilty to donation offence — RTÉRTERTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
News report, 17 October 2005 - Cosgrave faces community service sentence — RTÉRTERTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
News report, 27 February 2006 - Cosgrave community service sentence — RTÉRTERTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
News report, 26 May 2006 - Liam T. Cosgrave's electoral history (ElectionsIreland.org)