Price-list claim `utter nonsense'

The chief executive of the IRTC has described as "utter nonsense" an allegation that two senior Fianna Fail figures were operating a "price list" for the award of broadcasting licences.

Mr Michael O'Keeffe told the tribunal he had never heard of such an allegation until tribunal lawyers told him about it earlier this year.

In 12 years of working in independent radio, he had dealt with all applicants for licences, both successful and unsuccessful, and the claim was utter nonsense.

The co-founder of Century Radio, Mr James Stafford, has told the tribunal that in 1988 the minister for communications, Mr Burke, and the government press secretary, Mr P.J. Mara, operated a "price list" for licences.

His business colleague, Mr Oliver Barry, told him this, Mr Stafford had alleged.

Mr Burke, Mr Barry and Mr Mara have denied his claim.

Mr O'Keeffe told Ms Emily Egan, counsel for the IRTC, that he was not aware of any payments being made to the chairman or any member of the commission in connection with the licensing process.

As far as he was concerned, the process of awarding licences was conducted in accordance with legislation and the guidelines sent out to applicants.

Mr O'Keeffe transferred from the Department of Public Service to the IRTC when it was set up in 1988.

He was a higher executive officer at the time the national licence was awarded in 1989 and later became chief executive.

At the time the IRTC was set up, the post of secretary was the most senior, he said. No provision was made for a chief executive because at that time Mr Justice Henchy was operating as an executive chairman.

Mr O'Keeffe said that following the nomination of the airport branch of the Ulster Bank as banker to the commission, he met the branch manager and arranged for day-to-day banking facilities to be provided at an Ulster Bank branch near the IRTC's offices in the city centre.

In the first year the commission awarded one national radio licence, 25 local licences and a television licence, although this did not proceed.

He said the reason the national radio licence was processed first was that the commission wanted to have all stations starting up at around the same time.