Frank Dunlop (civil servant)

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Frank Dunlop (born 9 October 1947) is an Irish lobbyist, former civil servant and former broadcaster with RTÉ. He grew up in Kilkenny, attended St James’s Christian Brothers School and later University College Dublin. While at university, he joined Fianna Fáil’s youth wing and hoped to become a journalist for RTÉ.

In 1974 Dunlop became Press Secretary for Fianna Fáil, and from 1977 to 1982 he was the head of the Government Information Service and the Government Press Secretary. He helped create links between the government and the media, describing the Information Service as a “post office” that simply distributed statements to newsrooms.

After a change in government, Dunlop remained a senior civil servant, serving as Assistant Secretary in the Department of Education and then the Department of the Environment, mainly handling media matters. He left the civil service in 1986 and moved into public relations, first with Murray Consultants and then by starting his own firm, Frank Dunlop & Associates, in 1989.

Dunlop became a central figure in the Mahon Tribunal, which looked into improper payments to politicians by property developers. He admitted paying bribes to councillors in about 18 planning deals and was linked to developers and politicians, including Liam Lawlor. He also worked on RTÉ’s Late Late Show-style programming; he presented Later on 2 from 1997 to 2000 and was later replaced after allegations by a fellow witness.

In 2007 Dunlop earned an LL.B degree from Griffith College Dublin. In 2006, authorities froze land assets at Carrickmines linked to his activities as part of the investigations.

In 2009 he was sentenced to two years in prison for corruption, serving 14 months before his release in 2010.

Dunlop is married to Sheila and has a daughter, Sinéad, and a son, Cathal, who died aged 16. They live near Dunshaughlin, County Meath.