THE £185,000 given by Mr Ben Dunne to Fine Gael over a four year period made him the largest single donor to the party in recent times, the party's general secretary told the Dunne payments tribunal.
Meanwhile Mr Dunne's sister, Mrs Margaret Heffernan, the chairwoman of Dunnes Stores, is to give evidence today and is likely to be asked about her reaction on hearing of the large payments to Mr Haughey and others that Mr Dunne says he made.
Mr Dunne's solicitor, Mr Noel Smyth, who was involved in arranging some of the offshore payments made by Mr Dunne, is also to give evidence today.
The Fine Gael general secretary, Mr Jim Miley, told the tribunal yesterday the donations to Fine Gael consisted of a £30,000 cheque handed personally to Mr Alan Dukes in October 1989; one for £50,000 handed to Mr John Bruton in April 1991; and a cheque for £100,000 sent to the party in May 1993.
The remaining £5,000 came in a cheque handed to Mr Jim Mitchell TD in a pub in Castleknock, near Mr Dunne's home, in June 1988. This payment had only been traced this week, he said, as Mr Mitchell had originally thought the payment was made in 1982, outside the period covered by the tribunal's terms of reference.
Mr Dunne handed over the cheque in a chance encounter with Mr Mitchell in the pub. Half the money was for Mr Mitchell's constituency expenses and the other half for Mr Bruton's. Mr Mitchell had sent the £2,500 to Mr Bruton.
Mr Miley said no political favours had been sought or received by Mr Dunne.
Mr Bruton and Mr Dukes are expected to give evidence on Monday about the receipt of the donations from Mr Dunne. Fine Gael Ministers Mr Michael Noonan, Mr Ivan Yates and Mr Sean Barrett and Mr Haughey's son, Mr Sean Haughey TD, will also give evidence about smaller political donations they received from Mr Dunne.
The Tanaiste, Mr Spring, gave evidence yesterday of soliciting a contribution and receiving a cheque for £50,000 from Mr Dunne on behalf of the Waterworld aquadome project in Tralee. He said he would not accept any such contribution if there was "the slightest hint" of a political favour being sought at a later stage. See also pages 6 and 7