Reilly denies making up donation evidence

Mahon tribunal:Paddy "the Plasterer" Reilly has denied "making up" evidence about how he gave Bertie Ahern a contribution of £3,500.

At the Mahon tribunal yesterday, Mr Reilly defended an omission in his original statement to the tribunal.

He had failed to mention that the group, who contributed £16,500 to Mr Ahern in September 1994, had decided they should make the contribution in cash because the then minister for finance was unlikely to accept cheques. Instead, he had said he paid with cash because his business dealt in cash.

Counsel for the tribunal, Henry Murphy SC, asked Mr Reilly why he had made the omission. He said he had no idea.

"Because you are making it up, isn't that right, Mr Reilly?" Mr Murphy asked.

"No, that's untrue - do not accuse me of lying please, I did not come in here to be accused of that. Do not attempt, Mr Murphy, to do that," Mr Reilly responded.

He told the tribunal that when the group discussed making the whip-around for Mr Ahern in the Beaumont House pub they did not talk about how much they should each give or what their target amount should be.

Mr Murphy asked Mr Reilly if he did not think that was strange. Mr Reilly said he did not. He said he decided to contribute £3,500 because that was what he could afford to give, and he did not tell his wife.

Mr Murphy said it must be a coincidence that another contributor, Dublin Port Authority chairman Joe Burke, also gave £3,500. "Well yes, coincidences do happen," Mr Reilly said.

He said he thought he handed the money over to publican and fellow contributor Dermot Carew the following Saturday in the Beaumont House.

When pressed for details about the time and who might have been present, he said he couldn't remember. "I'm sure you don't remember what you were doing on a Saturday night 13 years ago. If you do you should be on Mastermind," he said.

Mr Ahern later thanked him and said he would pay it back. He brought up the subject several times but did not pay it back until September 2006, the tribunal was told. Mr Reilly said this was probably because the matter was made public and it was causing embarrassment to Mr Ahern.

He said that in April 2006 Mr Ahern told him his name would be mentioned when he made a submission to the tribunal. Mr Murphy asked him where that conversation took place. Mr Reilly asked how he should know.

"It could have happened on the top of Carrantuohill," he said. "Do you seriously think you would recall every bloody conversation you had?"

Judge Alan Mahon told Mr Reilly there was no need to say bloody. Mr Reilly apologised and said Mr Murphy was becoming "very confrontational".