O'Rourke expected to confirm Dail meeting

The leader of the Seanad, Mrs Mary O'Rourke, is expected to confirm the claim by developer Mr Tom Gilmartin that he met Government ministers in Leinster House in February 1989 when she gives evidence to the Mahon tribunal today.

However, Fianna Fáil has been spared the embarrassment of an immediate conflict of evidence between former ministers by the postponement of evidence from Mrs O'Rourke's former Cabinet colleagues until after Easter.

The taking of oral evidence from the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and other ministers from this period has been delayed by the continuing cross-examination of Mr Gilmartin by Mr Liam Lawlor. The former Fianna Fáil TD says he needs another two days to complete his questioning.

Alone among the ministers that Mr Gilmartin says attended the claimed meeting, Ms O'Rourke has told the tribunal in her statement of a gathering that corresponds in general terms to the gathering described by the developer.

Six other ministers alleged to have been present either don't recollect the meeting, or say it never took place. The then Taoiseach, Charles Haughey, has been too ill to make a statement and one minister, Mr Brian Lenihan, has died.

With the exception of Mrs O'Rourke's account, Mr Gilmartin recently appeared to be isolated in his recollection of the alleged meeting, but recent evidence has swung in his favour.

Last Friday, the tribunal heard evidence that Mr Lenihan told a friend in 1989 that he had attended a meeting with Mr Gilmartin and other ministers in Leinster House. Ms Freda Kelly said Mr Lenihan was "quite emphatic" the meeting had taken place.

Ms Kelly also said Mr Gilmartin told her in 1989 about the meeting, and she listed six ministers he named at the time - Mr Lenihan, Mr Albert Reynolds, Mr Séamus Brennan, Mr Gerry Collins, Mr Ahern and Mr Pádraig Flynn. Also in the past week, two former ministers have modified their position in relation to contacts with Mr Gilmartin. Lawyers for Mr Albert Reynolds told the tribunal last week he has no recollection of attending a meeting with Mr Gilmartin and the other ministers in the Dáil.

However, the tribunal's opening statement records Mr Reynolds as saying he "did not attend" the meeting. Then on Friday, former EU Commissioner Mr Ray MacSharry acknowledged that it was "possible" that he could have met the developer in his constituency clinic in Sligo in the late 1980s. The tribunal had just heard from a local teacher who recalled meeting both men in Mr MacSharry's clinic in Sligo.

Mr MacSharry originally told the tribunal in a letter he had no contact with Mr Gilmartin. In the witness box, he said this statement was made in relation to zoning and/or the planning history of Quarryvale in west Dublin. He insisted he had no contact with Mr Gilmartin in relation to these matters, but acknowledged that contact in Sligo about other matters "could have happened".

Mr Gilmartin says he was subjected to a £5 million extortion demand after leaving the meeting in the Fianna Fáil party rooms.