An employee of the company behind the a controversial development in Cherrywood, south Dublin has told the Mahon Tribunal that payments to politicians were regarded as a ‘necessary evil’.
Ann Gosling who worked for Monarch Properties said that was the culture of the time.
Ms Gosling was personal assistant to Monarch's managing director Phil Monahan and held a directorship in a number of related companies.
She said she had forgotten a £90,000 bonus payment she received in 1991 and that she had a poor memory for names.
The late Liam Lawlor was the only politician she remembered calling to Mr Monahan's home and office in Castleknock, Dublin.
She said she did not know he got total payments of more than £60,000 from Monarch. She also claimed she did not know at the time that the late Charles Haughey received £25,000 in 1991 or that the Fianna Fáil party received £16,000 in 1989.
She told the tribunal that she could not remember Mr Monahan's political contacts but after questioning by Judge Gerard Keyes she said she had misunderstood the context and drew up a list over lunch.
Ms Gosling agreed with Patricia Dillon SC for the tribunal that Monarch did not refuse donation requests from politicians because they had power over decisions that affected Monarch and had to be kept on side.
The tribunal also heard that Phil Monahan claimed he paid £850,00 in ‘marketing costs’ to get tax designation and high profile retail chains for the Square shopping centre in Tallaght.
The tribunal has heard how the centre received tax incentives in the 1989 Finance Act.
However, Ms Gosling said she had no knowledge of Mr Monahan meeting with then Environment Minister Padraig Flynn in May 1989.
She also said she had no knowledge of the practice of paying ‘hello money’ to retail chains.
