A former financial director of development company Green Property has told the Mahon Tribunal he cannot explain why payments to the late Liam Lawlor were concealed.
David McDowell made an apology on behalf of his company for forgetting about an account used to make a payment to Mr Lawlor.
Mr McDowell accepted that while Mr Lawlor told the inquiry that he received £35,000 from Green Property in the 1980s the company denied making any payments.
Mr Lawlor said he was advising Green Property about how to get increased square footage for the Blanchardstown Town Centre.
Mr McDowell said a dormant account at the St Stephen's Green branch of Bank of Ireland had 'slipped everyone's mind'.
It was used to make a payment of nearly £14,000 to Mr Lawlor through a company called Economic Reports in 1988.
The company also failed to find a £10,000 payment to Mr Lawlor through a company called Comex in February 1991.
Mr McDowell said these cheques would have been authorised by head of the company John Corcoran.
He said he had no idea why Mr Corcoran used Green Company money to make payments to a TD and concealed them from the company and auditors.
Mr McDowell accepted that during the same period political donations to Fianna Fáil totalling nearly £43,000 were properly recorded and receipted.
Cllr said £10,000 was 'bus fare'
Later communications consultant Pat Keating told the tribunal that then Fine Gael councillor the late Tom Hand told him payments of up to £10,000 were 'busfare money'.
Mr Keating said he was lobbying against Quarryvale on behalf of Green Property and was treated with aggression and hostility by councillors such as Colm McGrath and Sean Gilbride, who were both in Fianna Fáil.
On one occasion the council chamber foyer he said Mr Hand asked if he was 'taking care of anyone'.
Mr Keating said he asked what if he meant two, £5,000 or £10,000 a vote.
He said Mr Hand replied 'you're an innocent Pat, that's just bus fare money'.
But Mr Keating said no politician ever actually asked him for money.
