The Tánaiste has called for an independent investigation into allegations Dublin City Council was aware its contractors were paying ‘protection’ money to criminal gangs.

The High Court has been told that building firms working on behalf of the council paid money to violent criminals to prevent anti-social behaviour at three council sites in the city.

It heard that the firms were handing over between €1,200 and €1,500 a week to stop attacks on workers building council homes in Cherry Orchard.

It also heard claims that council officials were aware of what was happening and recommended the payments.

Department of Housing

In the Dáil this afternoon, Simon Coveney said his office was made aware of the claims in 2017, when he was Housing Minister.

He insisted it was never raised with him personally.

"All I can say if that if the issue had been raised with me, I would have raised it with the Minister for Justice – which would have been the appropriate thing to do," he said.

"I don’t recall doing that because the issue wasn’t raised with me.

"All I can do is give you the facts as I understand them at this point in time but we will understand more as the investigation takes place."

File photo of the Minister of State for Health Promotion and National Drugs Strategy Catherine Byrne TD, 26-09-2019. Image: Sam Boal/RollingNews

Allegations

Sinn Féin TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh has said he wrote to Dublin TD Catherine Byrne to highlight the issue on Christmas Eve 2016, when she was a junior minister in the Department of Housing.

Yesterday, she said she rang the council about the claims and was told "there had been an incident where there was intimidation, a JCB was burned out, and the man who was driving it had been injured."

"They assured me everything was fine and the council was dealing with it and the guards were involved," she said.

She said she felt her “job was finished” because the Gardaí were involved.

Investigation

Minister Coveney called for Dublin City Council to hold a full investigation into the allegations.

"I think because of the accusations and the seriousness of them, we need a completely independent investigation from Dublin City Council so that we can establish exactly what happened and when – and who knew what.

"So that we can ensure that we understand what happened here to make sure it doesn’t happen again."

In a statement yesterday, the council said it does not condone the payment of protection money by any of its contractors.

It said “no payments were made by the city council to the individuals concerned” and said it is arranging for an "independent investigation" to be carried out into the claims.

Yesterday, Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy, who was appointed to the position in the summer of 2017, said it was “the first I heard” of the allegations.

With reporting from Sean Defoe