Junior Stormont Minister Ian Paisley Jnr was last night facing calls to
spell out the full extent of his lobbying on behalf of prospective Giant's
Causeway centre developer Seymour Sweeney.
The DUP politician has been a champion of a number of Mr Sweeney's projects,
particularly the controversial Causeway project.
Mr Paisley Jnr
could not be contacted for comment last night, but continues to defend his
right to speak up for a businessman in his constituency.
The
Belfast Telegraph has learned that the MLA gave evidence at a 2005 planning
appeal in support of a housing development proposed by Sweeney, who is also
a DUP member.
He has also supported him publicly on a contentious
pub development project and a legal challenge against Department of the
Environment development framework, the Northern Area Plan.
Mr
Paisley Jnr confirmed yesterday to the BBC that he had lobbied for a
driftnet licence on behalf of a north coast fisherman whose crew included Mr
Sweeney and two of his relatives. The politicians said he had done so
because he believed in the case. He also confirmed he had been lobster
fishing with the developer.
The DUP has faced controversy since its
Environment Minister Arlene Foster last week announced that she was "of
a mind" to grant planning permission to Mr Sweeney's Causeway visitor
centre blueprint.
SDLP MLA John Dallat last night said: "It's
time for the Minister to make a full disclosure on his lobbying on behalf of
his party colleague."
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