Fine Gael denies claim it asked Goodman for funds

FINE Gael has denied that it authorised an approach to Mr Larry Goodman for a contribution to party funds last July, subsequent to a party decision that no funds would be solicited from Mrs Goodman or his companies.

The Fine Gael general secretary, Mr Jim Miley, said last night he could not confirm a report that Mr Sean Murray, a Fine Gael trustee, had sought funds from Mr Goodman on July 19th last year, according to a report in this morning's Irish Independent.

Earlier yesterday, on RTE's Prime Time programme, the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Yates, angrily dismissed suggestions that his recent critical comments about Mr Goodman in the Dail were prompted by Mr Goodman's refusal to make a donation to the Fine Gael party.

Early this morning, Mr Miley told The Irish Times that following his appointment as general secretary on July 1st of last year, a decision was taken not to make any further approaches for financial contributions to Mr Goodman. He was unaware of any subsequent approach to Mr Goodman.

"If any such requests were made (of Mr Goodman) then they were without my knowledge or that of the party leadership", Mr Miley said.

Mr Miley said one of his priorities on taking up his post was to raise funds to clear the party's outstanding debts, and as part of a fund raising drive about loo leading businessmen were contacted around the country. It was during preparations for fiat drive that an explicit decision was made not to contact Mr Goodman or his companies when seeking funds.

He was aware two approaches had been made to Mr Goodman by the party for funds in 1994, and that while Mr Goodman had not ruled out donations, no donation had been made.

"Even if funds had been requested of Mr Goodman and even if he had donated money, to suggest, as seems to be the implication, that such a request or donation be linked in any way to a departmental decision is outrageous," Mr Miley said.

Speaking on Prime Time, Mr Yates said Mr Goodman's statement that his refusal to contribute to Fine Gael party funds were relevant to the Dail attack on him provided "a remarkable insight into the thinking of Mr Goodman" that there is a direct relationship between money he gave to parties and what politicians stand up and say in the Dail how Ministers act against him.

I think it is a very, very interesting reflection on the political culture, of the Haughey and the Reynolds, administrations. This is obviously the way he has always dealt with politicians."

"I can tell Mr Goodman that that culture is dead and buried as, far as I am concerned, and he can, keep his money."

Earlier in the programme, Mr Goodman said he did not expect to face fraud charges following malpractice at some of his companies. I certainly do not", he responded when asked whether he expected at some time in the future to be in the dock of a court on fraud charges. He said he had "never ever fraudulently tried to take anything that did not belong to us from the whole meat industry."

Mr Yates said he had posed his comments on Mr Goodman in the, context of public accountability. "How come the chief executive, owner and chairman of these companies has not accepted any responsibility? I think by any normal yardstick the public wants an answer to that question," he said.

Mr Goodman also defended Department of Agriculture officials, saying that in 42 years of dealing with them he had never found "any wanting in terms of integrity."

He said he was not going to be intimidated (by Mr Yates's comments) and he was "not going to be pushed out for political or commercial reasons". He was going "to be in business", he was going "to be in Ireland", he was not going to be "a tax exile.

"I'm staying here, I'm staying in the beef industry," he said.