The Tánaiste and Minister for Health, Mary Harney, has defended a party donation of €1,270 from a businessman whose lands were rezoned in her constituency.
Ms Harney, who appeared today before the Mahon Tribunal, said the money was sent to her as party leader by businessman Chris Jones for the 2002 election.
She confirmed that she had had representations from Mr Jones in 1991 concerning the rezoning of his lands in Ballycullen, south Dublin.
She could not recall the details of the meetings but she did not take a position on it and would have told him that Progressive Democrat councillors would have to decide themselves on the issue.
The rezoning was passed in October 1992 with the support of Progressive Democrats councillors.
Speaking after her appearance, Ms Harney said election contributions were received from a wide range of sources and she saw nothing wrong in accepting one from Mr Jones on behalf of the party.
Later at the Mahon Tribunal, Fianna Fáil councillor Tony Fox denied receiving bribes from lobbyist Frank Dunlop to support the Ballycullen rezoning
He was asked about lodgements totalling over £6,000 in a four-month period in 1992 to 1993 that nearly amounted to his whole income for the year
He said this money was council expenses and money from his children in America.
