MR JOHN BRUTON was at the centre of an intensive drive to solicit donations to Fine Gael from business people the year before he suggested to the beef tribunal that he was only aware of such donations on a random basis".
The Taoiseach told the Dunne payments tribunal yesterday that he had sought funds for Fine Gael from about 100 business people in 1991 and 1994. A Government spokesman said last night that there was no contradiction between this and Mr Bruton's 1992 evidence to the beef tribunal.
The Dunnes tribunal adjourned yesterday evening for at least four weeks to allow evidence to be taken in Britain and the Cayman Islands and to enable other investigations to continue.
It specifically deferred consideration of whether details of five recent conversations between Mr Charles Haughey and Mr Ben Dunne's solicitor, Mr Noel Smyth, should be disclosed. This followed an application by Mr Haughey's lawyers, who made their first appearance at the tribunal yesterday.
Members of the public queued for places in the public gallery at lunchtime yesterday in anticipation of hearing Mr Smyth's account of his meetings with Mr Haughey. Consideration of the matter has been deferred until the tribunal reconvenes in about four weeks and may be postponed further at that time.
The adjournment of the tribunal could clear the way for a general election to be called within the next few weeks. The election campaign could then proceed unhindered by the tribunal hearings. There is speculation that in the event of an early dissolution of the Dail, the tribunal will not hold public hearings again until after polling day.
In his evidence to the tribunal yesterday Mr Bruton said that he had been intensively involved" in approaching business people for money in 1991 because the party was massively indebted. He had met, telephoned or otherwise contacted over 100 such people in 1991 and in 1994, he said.
Mr Bruton's evidence to the beef tribunal in 1992, however, suggested that he was not involved in soliciting contributions for his party and did not generally find out who had given funds to Fine Gael.
Clarifying his 1992 evidence yesterday, Mr Bruton said that he had been "referring to the situation at another time". He had been talking about contributions made at a time when the party was not in financial difficulty.
Under persistent questioning yesterday from Mr Denis McCullough SC, for the tribunal, Mr Bruton agreed that, ideally. the party leader and members of the parliamentary party should not he involved in fundraising. But he explained that Fine Gael had debts off 1.3 million in 1991. adding: If a political party has substantial debts, members should assist in any way they can to reduce that debt.
Mr Bruton's predecessor as party leader, Mr Alan Dukes, told the tribunal that he also had been very involved in raising funds from corporate donors. He had written to some 200 business people seeking donations and had met about a dozen of these in their offices, for lunch or for dinner.
Mr Bruton said he saw nothing "very wrong" in raising money in this way so long as no favours were sought or offered. He, Mr Dukes and three other Fine Gael ministers who gave evidence yesterday of receiving donations from Mr Ben Dunne all said on a number of occasions during their evidence that Mr Dunne had neither sought nor received any political favours in exchange for the money.
Mr Justice McCracken revealed that he might make recommendations on the future regime governing funding of political parties when he presents his report. He said this when asking Mr Bruton whether he was concerned that a political party might feel under an obligation to private donors.
Mr Bruton said in reply: "It would be better if political parties were not in a position to have to depend on big business to the degree they have had to in this jurisdiction in the past."
The Taoiseach said that the funding of political parties could be more transparent and that there should therefore be more public funding of political parties. There would, however, always be scope for private donations "within reasonable limits".