Documents released under the Freedom of Information Act show repeated representations were made by the DUP politician in support of proposals by would-be Causeway centre developer Seymour Sweeney.

According to official records, issued to this newspaper by the Department of Enterprise (Deti), Mr Paisley:

> Suggested to a direct rule minister that council-owned land could be compulsorily purchased by the Government to facilitate a private sector Causeway visitors' centre development.

> Urged the same Minister to push ahead on the issue "as a return to devolution would attract too many 'new players' to the project".

> Also supported Mr Sweeney's proposals for both a visitors' complex and a separate arts and craft centre on land above the Causeway.

The documents gave details of 13 occasions when Mr Paisley was in contact with the Government in support of Mr Sweeney's company Seaport Investments over a five year period up to 2006.

These included letters, phone calls and meetings with ministers and senior civil servants.

Mr Paisley jnr has been challenged in recent weeks over his links to Mr Sweeney, who is a DUP member. The controversy has been fuelled by the fact that the MLA told a radio interviewer "I know of him" when asked in September if he was a supporter of the businessman.

The lobbying details disclosed by Deti under freedom of information date back to 2001.

This newspaper offered Mr Paisley the opportunity to comment on the departmental documents. He did not respond.

> The official papers reveal that Mr Paisley jnr wrote to then Stormont Enterprise Minister Sir Reg Empey in August and November 2001, supporting Mr Sweeney's proposals for an arts and crafts centre development on his land near the Causeway.

This project was subsequently refused permission by the Planning Appeals Commission.

The DUP MLA's letters to Sir Reg attached correspondence from Mr Sweeney, inquiring about the possibility of Government grant-aid for the crafts centre project.

It is clear from the developer's letters that he was pursuing the crafts centre scheme alongside plans to develop a nearby Causeway visitors' centre.

> On October 23, 2002 - nine days after the suspension of devolution - Mr Paisley wrote to direct rule minister Ian Pearson seeking a meeting about the Giant's Causeway.

He wrote a further letter to Mr Pearson in January 2003, specifically on the visitors' centre issue. "I believe the private sector has something significant to offer this project," he stated.

> Deti's FoI disclosures also included its record of a high-level meeting on Causeway issues held at Mr Paisley's request in January 2004.

The DUP MLA was accompanied at this discussion with senior civil servants by Mr Sweeney, consultant John Edmonds, Professor David Carson from the University of Ulster and Michael Maguire from the Chartered Institute of Marketing.

According to Deti's record, Mr Paisley "argued that private sector interests should work hand in hand with the public sector and that the interests represented in his delegation were being kept in the dark when they should be in the driving seat".

Mr Paisley met another direct rule Minister, Barry Gardiner, in November 2004.

He argued on this occasion against plans being developed for a publicly-owned visitors' centre, involving the two key stakeholders at the Causeway - the National Trust and Moyle District Council.

The thrust of his argument was that "experts" from the private sector should be involved.

The Deti record of the meeting states: "Ian Paisley suggested that the project could move forward without the stakeholders as the access to the 'Stones' was a right of way and that the land for the facilities could be vested."

It adds: "He also stated his belief that now was the optimum time to get new facilities in place, as a return to devolution would attract too many 'new players' to the project."

The Deti account further states that Mr Paisley "presented pictures of a proposal for new facilities by Seaport Investments Ltd suggesting that the new facilities could be built on their and vested MDC [Moyle District Council] land".

The MLA also "noted the successful turnaround in fortunes of the Royal Victoria Hospital car park" as an example of "successful private sector involvement", the record states.

Deti's account of this November 2004 meeting indicates that the minister had some sympathy with Mr Paisley's criticisms of the National Trust. There is a reference at one stage in the record to the meeting agreeing that the trust's "intransigence" was an "obstacle" .

l On September 30, 2005, Mr Paisley jnr telephoned a Deti official to express his concerns about a Moyle Council meeting that evening. It was called to vote on a formal agreement with Deti and the National Trust on a new public sector visitors' centre.

The official's file note of the phone conversation recorded that the MLA said the DUP "did not consider the package to be in the best interests of local ratepayers".

Mr Paisley also argued for a delay in any ministerial announcement on the visitor centre scheme. The Deti civil servant's file note stated: "I suspect he or his father will try a direct approach to ministers to stop the process."

It also said: "I got the impression that my responses gave him little leverage and so his only hope now is to appeal directly to Ministers in which case we need to be steadfast in resisting any attempt to delay our planned announcement."

The file note further stated that the MLA had tried to probe the official for information on an international competition for a visitors' centre design, including " the country of origin of the winner". The civil servant recorded that he had "refused absolutely to be drawn on any of this".

Ian Paisley snr wrote to Moyle Council on the same date as this phone call by his son. The DUP leader asked for that night's vote on the visitors' centre agreement to be deferred, but this plea was rejected and the deal was endorsed by councillors.

l With the public sector Causeway centre project progressing under direct rule, the focus of Mr Paisley Jnr's representations changed in 2006.

In June that year, he wrote to Deti about the possibility of "complementary development" between the planned visitors' centre and Mr Sweeney's steam train service between Bushmills and the Causeway.

The MLA's letter stated that the developer "would like to avail of Government grant aid to ensure that the railway is expanded and developed in a way that augments local tourism need".

His letter also stated: "It is essential that we get an agreement between the public and private sectors as to how to bring the centre forward that has the full support of the entire local community. I believe this is possible and I trust that it can ultimately be achieved."

The possibility of links between the railway line and the planned public sector visitors' centre was also discussed with Deti at meetings in 2006, involving Mr Sweeney and Mr Paisley jnr.

One meeting took place in October 2006 in the home of Mr Sweeney, with Mr Paisley jnr present, the department has disclosed.

The Deti official who attended this meeting recorded details in a memo to colleagues.

He said it was " positive" because "Seymour" now realises that Deti is moving forward with its visitors' centre plans.

"We are not reopening the debate on where the facilities should be," the official added.

Eleven months after this memo, the debate was reopened.

DUP Environment Minister Arlene Foster announced on September 10, 2007 that she was minded to approve Mr Sweeney's plans for a visitors' centre development on his own land.

DUP Deti Minister Nigel Dodds immediately shelved the public sector scheme. Both Mr Dodds and Mrs Foster have firmly stated that no one lobbied them on the Causeway centre issue.