Builders ask Burke to donate unwanted £118,000 to charity

Builders Brennan and McGowan have made a seasonal appeal to former minister Mr Ray Burke to give to charity £118,000 he holds in remaining donations.

Lawyers for the two builders suggested to Mr Justice Flood yesterday that the money should be given to the St Vincent de Paul, the Children's Hospital in Crumlin and a third charity to be nominated by the tribunal chairman.

They cited the "great reluctance" of Fianna Fβil to have any involvement with the money advanced by the builders to Mr Burke, and the fact that Mr Burke was no longer in politics, as reasons for donating the money.

Mr Justice Flood extended season's greetings to everyone at yesterday's brief hearing but did not comment on the proposal.

Mr Burke has told the tribunal on numerous occasions that £118,000 remained in a "political fund" of which he no longer proposed to avail. The money is an amalgam of political contributions he received during his career, plus interest. Much, but not all, was contributed by Brennan and McGowan.

In 1999, Mr Burke said he was receiving legal and accountancy advice on what to do with the fund. Because he had retired from public life, he could not benefit from it. He first disclosed the existence of the fund to the Taoiseach on the night of the by-election to fill his seat in Dublin North in 1998.

The tribunal has established that Brennan and McGowan made offshore payments totalling £125,000 to Mr Burke in the 1980s. However, no evidence has been found to support their claim that they also raised £150,000 for the politician in Britain, and Fianna Fβil has told the tribunal it has no knowledge of this fund-raising.

Mr Martin Hayden SC, for Brennan and McGowan, said that given the "absolute reluctance" of the politicians to acknowledge any involvement in the payments to Mr Burke and the necessity to put the money to good use, the fund should be donated to charity.

A proportion of the money related to a donation from auctioneer Mr John Finnegan, and his clients obviously "can't say anything" about this sum.

Mr Hayden's clients were the only party to make an oral submission at yesterday's closing session devoted to the Brennan and McGowan module of the tribunal. Lengthy written submissions were received from the main parties involved.

The tribunal has adjourned to the new year. Ms Patricia Dillon SC, for the tribunal, said it was not known when it would resume. Closing the session, Mr Justice Flood wished all present a happy Christmas, adding: "Goodbye - for this year."