A £60,000 payment to Ray Burke was top of the list when money from a land transaction in 1984 was being distributed, the Flood Tribunal has heard. The payment came from a mortgage on land at Sandyford in Dublin owned by the builders Mr Brennan and Mr McGowan and the Dublin auctioneer John Finnegan.
When the money was divided between the three men through a law firm in Jersey, the payment to Mr Burke was the first item on the list. Counsel for Mr Finnegan has told the Tribunal his client was fooled by letters relating to the payment, which described it as architect's fees.
Dominic Hussey said that a charade of a reserve fund for architect's fees was maintained while all except Mr Finnegan knew the money was for Mr Burke. The Tribunal also heard that Mr Finnegan had never met Mr Burke. Mr Brennan agreed that it would be normal for the recipient of a political donation to know the donor.
