The Flood Tribunal has heard that the former Assistant City and County manager George Redmond received up to £50,000 over a 15-year period from the builder Tom Brennan. Mr Brennan said the money was the proceeds of bets he placed on Mr Redmond's behalf. He denied that the money was in return for advice given by Mr Redmond. Mr Brennan and his partner Joseph McGowan are being questioned about payments to the former Minister Ray Burke and Mr Redmond.
He and his partner were horse breeders and he said it was the proceeds of bets he placed for Mr Redmond as a favour to a friend. When asked why this practice stopped a couple of years before Mr Redmond retired, Mr Brennan said it was simply because they were not playing golf together as often. Earlier his partner Joseph McGowan said he did not know George Redmond all that well but he remembered Tom Brennan telling him it was better to have a friend in the planning office than an enemy.
The Tribunal also heard that Mr Burke received payments of £35,000 and £60,000 during separate fund raising events in England in 1984. The figures were revealed by counsel for Mr Burke, Aidan Walsh, during questioning of Mr McGowan.
Mr McGowan also told the tribunal he had been a friend of Ray Burke's and had organised annual fund raisers from 1972 until 1984. The target figure for these events was £10,000 but they often raised much more. Brennan and McGowan's companies would contribute at least half of that target amount and if there was a shortfall they would make it up through one of their companies.
Many of the fund raisers took place in his home but in later years they tended to take place after major racing festivals such as Royal Ascot and Cheltenham. The fund raisers were attended by company directors and those involved in the racing industry. But he said they never got a receipt and he did not know how the money was divided between Ray Burke and Fianna Fail. That was the left up to a treasurer of the fund raising group.
However he said that he never made a personal contribution to any politician. Mr McGowan was asked to write the names of all those he could remember attending such fundraisers on a piece of paper. At first he said that he could remember just six of the 20 people who attended a party in his home in 1972.
The tribunal also heard that Ray Burke was paid a total of £95,000 after two fund raising events in England in 1984. Joseph McGowan said he stopped fundraising that same year and there was £50,000 in the kitty. He said he never asked Mr Burke for any favours but may, on occasion, have taken his advice.
