A house was bought by the Taoiseach's former partner Celia Larkin in 1993 with money donated to Bertie Ahern's cumann in Drumcondra, the Mahon tribunal heard yesterday. Colm Keena, Public Affairs Correspondent, reports.
The disclosure came during a dramatic day in which tribunal chairman Judge Alan Mahon made unprecedented criticisms of Conor Maguire SC, Mr Ahern's counsel.
He accused him of implying the three tribunal judges were "crooks" conducting a "witch hunt" against Mr Ahern, in contravention of the oaths they took on being appointed judges. He asked him to withdraw his "disgraceful" comments.
Mr Maguire said he had not made the comments being ascribed to him. "You have magnified out of all proportion what I have said," he said, adding: "I have accused counsel for the tribunal of having an agenda . . . I don't make any apology for saying that."
The exchange occurred after Mr Maguire had raised the role tribunal staff might have had in a ruling against Mr Maguire the tribunal chairman had delivered. At the end of the exchange Judge Mahon adjourned proceedings for 10 minutes, "to allow all of us, especially myself, cool down".
Mr Ahern told tribunal counsel Des O'Neill SC that the entire membership of the Dublin Central O'Donovan Rossa Cumann trust house committee had agreed in March 1993 to lend Ms Larkin £30,000 to assist her purchase a house in which elderly members of her family had been living as tenants for more than 35 years.
Ms Larkin's two aunts, who lived in the house, provided the remainder required to purchase the property for £40,100. The purchase occurred after the former landlady, who lived in the house, had died, and the elderly women were facing the prospect of the house being sold and new tenants being moved in with whom they would have to share the accommodation.
Mr Ahern said he had not known of the loan to Ms Larkin until after she had bought the house. Solicitor Hugh Millar, for Ms Larkin and the surviving aunt who still lives in the house, said: "We are all grown-ups here. It's being put to the witness that monies were advanced to his girlfriend. That's the import of the question and in my submission that is totally unnecessary."
Mr Ahern told Mr O'Neill that "the relationship had nothing to do with it". He said the committee had agreed to help Ms Larkin as they had known her and worked with her for years. "She was a person of good standing in Fianna Fáil, and her family had a difficulty."
The money came from an account with the name B/T which had been opened by Mr Ahern's supporter Tim Collins in 1989 in the Irish Permanent Building Society branch in Drumcondra, across the road from Mr Ahern's constituency centre, St Luke's.
The address on the account was care of the branch and political donations to Mr Ahern's constituency operation was lodged to the account. There have been no movements on the account since 1995, and the current balance is €47,803.
Mr Ahern told the tribunal that Ms Larkin had repaid the £30,000 with interest "since Christmas" and following the tribunal initiating inquiries into the B/T account.
Judge Mahon said the tribunal would be seeking to establish who the beneficial owner of the funds in the account was. Mr Ahern said he had no beneficial interest in it. He said the account was the building trust account, and contained "contingency" money for St Luke's.
Mr Collins, who has not been in charge of the account since 1995, is due to give evidence next Thursday, as is Dominic Gillane, who took on certain duties at St Luke's in 1999.
Hugh Mohan SC told the tribunal that he represented the Fianna Fáil Dublin Central constituency. He sought permission to make a submission by close of business on Tuesday on a proposed order of discovery from the tribunal. Judge Mahon said: "Why not just produce the documentation?" Mr Mohan said there had been correspondence on the issue. Judge Mahon said an extension had already been granted and gave Mr Mohan until Monday to make his submissions.
After Mr Ahern had completed his evidence, Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore called on him to resign. "The Taoiseach's situation is now a national embarrassment and needs to be ended to permit the country to move on," he said.