Builder describes payments of £125,000 to Burke as `political donations'

The builder Mr Tom Brennan has described £125,000 in payments made to the former minister Mr Ray Burke as "political donations" to "Ray Burke/ Fianna Fail".

Last year, when Mr Brennan and his colleague Mr Joe McGowan gave evidence, the tribunal was told the two builders raised the money for Mr Burke at a series of lavish fundraising events at Cheltenham. However, the tribunal subsequently found evidence of substantial offshore payments to the politician between 1982 and 1985.

Mr Pat Hanratty SC, for the tribunal, said £15,000 was paid in December 1982 into an offshore account operated by a shelf company controlled by Mr Burke. What sort of political donation was that, he asked?

Mr Brennan said he didn't know the name of Mr Burke's company. He just gave instructions to his solicitors in Jersey to make the payment. Asked whether the payment was for Fianna Fail, he replied, "absolutely". He had campaigned for the party since 1965 and organised teams of canvassers in every election.

Mr Hanratty said Mr Brennan did not tell the tribunal anything about this payment when he was in the witness box last year. Mr Brennan said he wasn't asked about it. He was only asked about payments in Ireland.

In the 1970s, Mr Burke's auctioneering firm sold thousands of houses on behalf of Brennan and McGowan. At the same time, as a member of Dublin County Council, he supported motions to rezone lands owned by the builders, Mr Hanratty said. "Ray Burke as a county councillor assisted you in any way he could, didn't he?"

Mr Brennan said this was not the case. "We didn't have any land rezoned in these years." The business relationship between Mr Burke and Brennan and McGowan ceased when Mr Burke became a junior minister, he added.

Mr Hanratty said there was a "remarkable similarity" between the previous evidence of Mr Burke, Mr Brennan and Mr McGowan regarding payments made to Mr Burke in the 1980s.

Mr Hanratty again asked Mr Brennan if he had any evidence to show that Mr Burke paid anything for the plot and house he acquired from one of his companies. Mr Brennan said he had not made any searches but the matter was being looked at by one of the firm's other directors. He had provided all the information that he had, "lock, stock and barrel". Mr Hanratty said the issue was "very important" to the tribunal and he proposed to raise it again today.