Further Dunne payment of £1/4m may have been found

Inquiries into the so-called Ansbacher Deposits - through which former Taoiseach, Mr Charles J. Haughey, received £1.3 million from Mr Ben Dunne - are believed to have revealed a further large payment made by Mr Dunne.

Both the Moriarty tribunal and an inquiry established by the Tanaiste, Ms Harney, are investigating the destination of the payment, made in the late 1980s and understood to have been about £250,000.

The sum was not part of the £1.3 million paid by Mr Dunne to Mr Haughey between 1987 and 1991. It appears to have evaded the notice of last year's McCracken tribunal, which established that Mr Haughey was the beneficiary of the £1.3 million.

A report in yesterday's Sunday Independent claimed investigators had discovered Mr Haughey was the beneficiary of the £250,000, which they believed came to him indirectly from Mr Dunne.

The report said Mr Dunne may have been unaware of the payment's final destination.

Mr Haughey and members of his family failed in a High Court challenge last March to prevent the Moriarty tribunal from investigating their financial affairs. They later appealed to the Supreme Court and a judgment in the case is expected by the end of the month. If the appeal fails, the tribunal will sit in the autumn.