Taoiseach rejects allegations of contradictions over Burke

The Taoiseach has rejected opposition allegations of contradictions between statements he made about political donations to Ray Burke last year, and what the Tánaiste Mary Harney told the Flood Tribunal last week. Mr. Ahern was speaking during the Order of Business in the Dáil this afternoon.

The Flood Tribunal heard today that James Gogarty first told a Dublin TD about alleged payments to Ray Burke 11 months after initially contacting him. Labour TD, Tommy Broughan, said that, at that stage, he was only told about one alleged £40,000 payment. He said that it was another 17 months before he heard there had been a second payment, also for £40,000.

Tommy Broughan told how he was first contacted by his constituent James Gogarty in May 1995. Their initial dealings centred on the non-prosecution of Joseph Murphy Junior for alleged threatening phone calls and Mr Gogarty's safety fears. However, apart from a reference to Mr. Burke in a letter, which the TD said that he did not pick up on, it was not until 11 months later, in April 1996, that Mr. Gogarty first made allegations against Ray Burke. He said that he had been present at a meeting at which Joseph Murphy Junior gave Mr Burke £40,000 to secure rezoning.

A further 17 months passed before Mr Gogarty told him there had been a second alleged payment to Mr Burke at the same meeting, by the builder Michael Bailey. Under cross-examination, Deputy Broughan accepted that not mentioning the Bailey payment initially had been a significant omission by Mr. Gogarty. However, he said that he had believed Mr. Gogarty's story and that this was why he had tried to help him by contacting the Gardaí and the Justice Minister. He said that he still holds him in high regard. Deputy Broughan also said that he did not recall Mr. Gogarty mentioning any payments to George Redmond.