Meanwhile, the IDA is counterclaiming against Connect Ireland for €1.2 million of fees it alleges should be clawed back because, it says, some new jobs did not last. The legal row has moved on to a new phase in which the arbitrator will now determine who is financially liable for what.A cache of legal letters, emails and transcripts obtained by The Irish Times illustrates how the bitter row unfolded.
She responded weeks later urging Connect Ireland to enter dispute resolution with the IDA and said the government could not ascertain the full cost of Succeed in Ireland until the costs of the row between both sides were known. Connect Ireland also sent details of its complaint, as well as evidence uncovered during the arbitration, to the IDA’s board.Meanwhile, years of emails between IDA executives that were pored over in arbitration appear to show certain executives in the State agency colluded over false claims to have already met potential foreign investors, so as to scoop the credit for new jobs from Mr Clune’s venture.
Other emails from 2016 showed senior IDA executives “red lighting” Connect Ireland’s request for credit for a potential jobs lead from Texan online security firm, AllClear ID, on the supposed basis that it was already on to the company.