Catherine Butler, Asked to recall time spent on Haughey staff
Eileen Foy, Evidence contradicted by fomer colleague
Charles Haughey's former personal assistant has told the Moriarty Tribunal that she destroyed a personal journal, which contained the utmost personal political secrets of her former boss. Catherine Butler said that the journal included details of the formation of the coalition Government in 1989. She destroyed the journal last year after a meeting with her former colleague Eileen Foy, who has also given evidence to the Tribunal today.
Ms. Foy had asked Ms. Butler to help her recall matters relating to the time both women worked for Charles Haughey. Ms. Butler accepted today that the journal contained material of relevance to the Tribunal but said it also contained details of her personal and family life.
Ms. Butler also told the Tribunal that she informed Charles Haughey that John Ellis, TD was about to be declared bankrupt in 1989. She explained that she received a call from a barrister who told her of Mr. Ellis' financial difficulties and asked her to bring it to the attention of Charles Haughey. She did so, and later the same day Mr. Haughey told her he had arranged a loan for Mr. Ellis. This was the only cash withdrawal from the Party Leaders Allowance account of which she was aware.
In further evidence about the Party Leader's Allowance, Ms. Butler told the Tribunal that she arranged 95% of the reservations at Le Coq Hardi restaurant for her former boss. The reservations were for both business and personal reasons. Previously the Tribunal heard that in 1991 £15,000 was paid from the Party Leader's Allowance account to the restaurant. Ms. Butler said that 1991 was not an exception and that approximately the same amount of reservations were made at the restaurant in other years. The only exception was 1990 when Ireland held the presidency of the EU. She added that she believed Mr. Haughey may personally have reimbursed some of the bills.
Ms. Butler also gave information relating to the Brian Lenihan fund. She said that in 1989 when she was made aware of the seriousness of Mr. Lenihan's condition, a member of the board of the VHI, Dr. Altan told her that the company was willing to make a donation of £10,000 to the fund. When she told Mr. Haughey about this he simply replied "I see". Ms. Butler said that recent reports from the Tribunal that the VHI in fact paid a £57,000 hospital bill for Mr. Lenihan were a "complete revelation" to her. She said that when she informed Mr. Haughey initially of Mr. Lenihan's condition at his home he broke down and wept.
Before she took the stand today, large parts of Ms. Butler's evidence were put to Eileen Foy. Ms. Butler told the Tribunal that she believes Eileen Foy took documents relating to the Party Leader's Allowance Account with her from the office. Ms. Foy completely denied this in the witness box this morning. Ms. Butler also claimed that she saw Bertie Ahern at one time fill out a full chequebook of blank cheques for Ms. Foy. Eileen Foy said that she never asked anyone to fill out an entire chequebook. However, she did say that Mr. Ahern could have signed as many as 20 cheques at one time.
Ms. Butler also said that she recalls Eileen Foy telling her she destroyed chequebook records relating to the party leader's allowance account sometime before 1998. Ms. Foy said that she absolutely refuted that claim. Ms. Foy said that she contacted Catherine Butler in 1998 to try and get help remembering details of her time managing the leader's account. Ms. Foy, when contacted by the Tribunal initially, was at a loss to remember particular events and was finding this distressing.
Catherine Butler agreed to help by consulting her own personal diary from that time. The women met on a number of occasions, however Eileen Foy said, "I never got any information." Ms. Butler decided it would be better if Eileen Foy gave her own recollection of events to the Tribunal. When Ms. Foy got no further assistance from Catherine Butler, she went to Kinsealy to ask Charles Haughey if he had records from this time. She said that she was going to explain the cheques made out to cash. She told the Tribunal this morning, "I don't think he was in a position to help me."
Before she finished her evidence, Ms. Foy said that she did not know who initiated the practice of pre-signing cheques. She said that it was purely a matter of convenience.
