Ahern 'was told of #5m' claim

Property developer Mr Tom Gilmartin has said he told the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, about a £5 million extortion demand made upon him in Leinster House in February 1989. Mr Ahern was a minister at the time.

Mr Gilmartin told the tribunal yesterday that he told Mr Ahern about the difficulties he was facing in trying to develop a massive shopping centre at Quarryvale in west Dublin when he contacted him later that year.

Asked what he told Mr Ahern, the witness said he mentioned the difficulties he experienced in tendering to buy lands at Quarryvale and the various demands for money made upon him, including the £5 million demand and demands for money by Mr Liam Lawlor for assistant Dublin city and county manager George Redmond.

Mr Ahern referred him to Cllr Joe Burke, whom he later met. Mr Burke was generally aware of the developer's difficulties when they met.

Mr Ahern has told the tribunal he has no recollection of the conversation but accepts that it may have taken place and that he would have referred the developer to Mr Burke.

Asked about the meeting he claims he had with government ministers in Leinster House in February 1989, Mr Gilmartin said he had never described this as a cabinet meeting. The ministers were there already when he arrived, he did not sit down and he was not asked to sit down.

Mr Gilmartin said it was absolutely clear in his mind that the £50,000 he gave to former Fianna Fáil minister Mr Pádraig Flynn in June 1989 was for the Fianna Fáil party rather than the politician personally. If there had not been interference in his plans by Mr Lawlor and Redmond, he would not have made the donation.

Mr Gilmartin said he originally believed the tribunal was going nowhere and was unwilling to co-operate. However, his decision to co-operate was triggered by Mr Flynn's appearance on the Late Late Show in January 1998.

Mr Flynn had said on television that Mr Gilmartin and his wife were not well. He felt it was an insult to mention his wife and that Mr Flynn was implying that he was not well mentally.

Today, he felt sorry for Mr Flynn. It was clear that Mr Flynn was not the only person who had been "pocketing" money for the party at this time. He was just "one of many". He had no reason to have any grudge against him.

Asked why he moved back to Ireland from Luton in 2001, the witness explained that his wife Vera suffered from multiple sclerosis and was totally disabled. Her family were all in Ireland and the level of care available here was better than in England.

Mr Gilmartin said property developer Mr Owen O'Callaghan told him he had "shot himself in the foot" and "cooked his goose" by making complaints to the Garda in 1989.

With hindsight, he may have been "unduly optimistic" in believing that he could develop Quarryvale within the timescale envisaged, he told Mr John Gallagher SC, for the tribunal. But the government was very enthusiastic about the project and he had good reason to believe it wanted the investment.

After 21 days in the witness box, Mr Gilmartin has now completed his evidence.