Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

There have been a few cases, but not many. Fianna Fáil has co-operated fully with the tribunals. Fianna Fáil accountants and legal teams have examined all the issues surrounding these donations. They comprise a small number of cases and all the facts and knowledge available to us have been given. In a number of cases we would have spoken to individuals who gave the money and to people involved in fundraising. We would have given all those facts to the tribunal. A number of those cases have been before the tribunal. I was before the tribunal on one such case. We have endeavoured to be helpful at all times.

On my involvement in the investigations regarding the £50,000 cheque, Mr. Gilmartin stated he referred that matter to me many years ago. I did not recall that. The then Minister, Pádraig Flynn, was treasurer of the party and the matter would not have been one which I would have checked at the time. I was not treasurer at that time.

From our own investigations, the donation, subscription or whatever Members wish to call it — I will not use all the other terms used, that is a matter for the tribunal to work out — the cheque was not made out to Fianna Fáil. It was stated for many years that the cheque was made out to Fianna Fáil, it was not, it was made out to cash. Obviously, the circumstances surrounding why one would make a cheque for £50,000 out to cash in the first instance are peculiar.

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