Property developer Mr Tom Gilmartin told the Mahon tribunal yesterday that he first met the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, in October 1987 - a full year before Mr Ahern claims the two first met.
Mr Gilmartin said he was "absolutely" certain he met Mr Ahern, who was then serving as minister for labour, before December 10th, 1987, when the businessman held a meeting with the then minister for finance, Mr Ray MacSharry, over a Dublin city centre development which Mr Gilmartin was promoting.
Mr Gilmartin said he recalled visiting Mr Ahern's ministerial offices at Mespil Road, Dublin, where he showed him plans of the proposed development in the Bachelor's Walk area.
The businessman noted Mr Ahern was "quite enthusiastic" about the project, which had major job creation implications. Mr Gilmartin said Mr Ahern was also aware that the government had been lobbied over whether or not the site could be fully designated for tax breaks under an urban renewal scheme, and Mr Ahern said the matter was being looked into.
Mr Gilmartin said, however, he did not ask for any favour or help at the meeting. "There was no specific request."
Mr John Gallagher, counsel for the tribunal, said Mr Ahern had no recollection of a meeting with Mr Gilmartin in 1987, although he said he had met the developer twice in October 1988.
"I can't account for Mr Ahern's memory or lack of it," Mr Gilmartin replied.
Asked was it possible he had mixed up the dates, Mr Gilmartin said: "No, I met Mr Ahern in October 1987."
Mr Gilmartin also contradicted the evidence of former minister for the environment Mr Padraig Flynn over the sequence of their meetings on property developments.
Mr Gallagher said Mr Flynn believed that he first met Mr Gilmartin at the end of 1988. But Mr Gilmartin said the two first met - he was "reasonably certain" - at Leinster House in late October or early November 1987. At this meeting, he said, he indicated to the minister that only half of the Bachelor's Walk site had been designated for urban renewal, and as a result it would be better if the designation was expanded.
Mr Gilmartin said he received a "reasonably enthusiastic reception", although the minister was "non-committal" on the subject of designation. Mr Gilmartin remarked that, because the government was eager to attract inward investment, "I expected him to be over the moon but I felt I did not get that kind of response".
Asked to pinpoint the date of the meeting, Mr Gilmartin said he was certain it was before 1988 and "100 per cent certain" it was before October 1988. He said he had a number of meetings with Mr Flynn after October 1987 and "some were in quick succession".
Of his role in the development, Mr Gilmartin said he had been contracted by a British company, Arlington, to serve as its "contact man", making introductions to local authority councillors and government ministers. Asked whether this was a strange environment for him to be entering into, Mr Gilmartin admitted he had had very little contact with politicians previously.
"But since I was Irish and it was my idea to bring in this investment, they relied on me to get it off the ground."
Asked what ministers Mr Gilmartin knew at the end of August 1987 when he agreed to work on the project, he replied: "At that time I did not know any." He later clarified this evidence, saying he met Mr MacSharry briefly in early August 1987 at the minister's constituency office in Sligo.
Arlington agreed to pay Mr Gilmartin a fee of £250,000, plus 20 per cent of profits, for his work on the project.
