A PREVIOUSLY unaccounted for £5,000 given by Mr Ben Dunne to Fine Gael was shared for party activities, between Mr John Bruton and Mr Jim Mitchell, the tribunal was told.
The Fine Gael general secretary, Mr Jim Miley, said the contribution, which was made in 1988, was traced only this week by Mr Mitchell as a result of information arising from the tribunal.
Mr Miley also told the inquiry that Mr Dunne's contributions to Fine Gael were "exceptionally large".
To his knowledge they were the biggest made by any business person to the party.
Mr Denis McCullough SC, counsel for the tribunal, said that Mr Dunne had said in evidence that he had given £185,000 to Fine Gael. Until yesterday the party had been able to account for only £180,000 of this.
This comprised a £100,000 donation to the party in May 1993, a £50,000 cheque given to Mr Bruton at a meeting with Mr Dunne in April 1991, and £30,000 given to the then leader, Mr Alan Dukes, in October 1989.
Mr Miley said that despite carrying out an intensive investigation, the party had until recently been unable" to trace the residual, £5,000. However, he was now in a position to give some information on it.
The party could still confirm that only £180,000 was received by Fine Gael headquarters. But in recent days, as a result of dates that were made known by the tribunal, Deputy Jim Mitchell had carried out a further re-examination of his records and found the £5.000, which was an unsolicited contribution from Mr Dunne.
Mr Mitchell had originally thought that the payment was made in 1982, which was outside the period covered by the tribunal's terms of reference. But he had now established that he had got the payment in 1988, and was asked to give half - £2,500 - to Mr John Bruton. The money was for local constituency political activities.
Mr Miley agreed with Mr McCullough that both Mr Bruton and Mr Mitchell would be giving evidence to the inquiry about the matter on Monday.
He also told the tribunal that there was no question of any promise of influence or favour sought by or given to Mr Dunne.
Asked by Mr McCullough if Mr Dunne's contributions to the party would have been the largest, Mr Miley replied: "To my knowledge, yes."
Mr Miley told Mr Kevin Feeney SC, counsel for Fine Gael, that to his personal knowledge no favours had been sought in connection with any donations made to the party.
Asked what the position would be if such favours were sought, Mr Miley said: "The donations would be refunded, or refused if they hadn't already been paid."