An RTÉ executive has denied receiving £5,000 from Oliver Barry as a "thank you" payment for getting Century Radio on air. Peter Branagan, who was head of engineering and design in 1989, told the Flood Tribunal that the figure was closer to £1,700. He said that the money was received in cash in Mother Redcaps pub in Dublin. It was later passed on to other RTÉ personnel and was used as an "entertainment budget" to host parties for up to 30 staff involved in the Century work.
Mr Branagan said that he had learned from RTÉ that it had established that at least four parties took place for staff. Oliver Barry has told the Tribunal that he gave £5,000 to either Mr Branagan or another RTÉ executive, John McGrath. Mr Branagan said that he was not aware of any other payments being made. He said that the money had been paid out because Oliver Barry wanted to reward staff for their co-operation. RTÉ had got Century on air in 1989, despite the fact that they were not contractually obliged to do so until the following year, he said.
In a separate development, Ray Burke's bank manager has told the Tribunal that the former minister received no benefit for introducing an IRTC account to his branch. William Moody, manager of Ulster Bank's Dublin Airport branch, said that Mr Burke telephoned him after the IRTC's inaugural meeting in 1988 to say that the commission would open its account with him. He said that Mr Burke was a long-standing customer of the bank and that he saw it as a straightforward introduction of business.
The Tribunal heard that documents relating to the IRTC account contained a reference to Ray Burke. Mr Moody said that there was nothing unusual about that. He agreed with lawyers for Ray Burke that Mr Burke received no benefit because of the introduction. Mr Moody said that he could not think of any particular advantage to the IRTC in having their account at the Airport branch. He said that the commission could avail of all service in another branch in the city centre.
A former member of the IRTC has told the Tribunal he was totally surprised to find that Mr Burke had nominated the commission’s financial advisers, legal advisers and bankers. Vivien Murray said that he was unaware until now that the names for the three posts had come from the minister through another member of the commission. He agreed with Tribunal lawyers that all advice should have been wholly independent. The tribunal heard the posts were nominated at the inaugural meeting of the IRTC in 1988. Mr Murray said that he could not recall any discussion on the individuals. He said, however, that he presumed the executive had prepared nominations beforehand.
