The Flood Tribunal has heard of representations that Ray Burke made to the Chairman of the Revenue Commissioners. He made them on behalf of a company owned by Joe McGowan and Tom Brennan while he was Minister for Industry and Commerce in 1989. The Tribunal, which resumed hearings today, is to investigate why Mr Burke telephoned the Revenue Commissioners on behalf of the company, Bardun Estates Limited.
The Tribunal also heard that, in a secretly taped conversation about the possible sale of lands at Sandyford to Dun Laoghaire Corporation in the 1980s, Joe McGowan said that Ray Burke supported the proposed sale. Joe McGowan and Tom Brennan have said in letters to the Tribunal that up to £125,000 paid to Mr Burke did not come from fundraising events, as they had testified last year. The Tribunal had discovered that thousands of pounds came from one of their offshore accounts. Some of it was borrowed money.
The Tribunal heard this morning that both men would retract last year's evidence about some of the payments. They now accept that the money came from their companies and had nothing to do with fundraising events. They maintain, however, that they were merely political donations. The auctioneer, John Finnegan, who was involved with one of the companies, has denied any involvement in payments to Ray Burke.
The Tribunal is also set to investigate how Ray Burke acquired the site for his former home in Swords, County Dublin. The site was transferred to him from a company called Oak Park developments. A solicitor who acted in the transfer is expected to tell the Tribunal that no money changed hands for the site. However, others will say a portion of the sale price of £7,500 was paid. Evidence on these and other matters relating to Ray Burke's finances will be heard in the coming days.
