A senior civil servant said at the Flood tribunal yesterday he was "pretty shattered" that RTE had written an internal memo about an informal dinner its executives had with Department of Communications officials in January 1990.
Ms Patricia Dillon SC, for the tribunal, asked about the meeting. Last week the tribunal heard it was a social occasion, that officials from RTE and the Department met at dinner to discuss informally some current issues.
Mr Seamus O Morain, at the time a principal officer in the Department, said he found the RTE document extraordinary, particularly in the context of the meeting. He considered it a breach of trust by RTE and he was "pretty shattered" that notes had been taken.
The nature of the discussions, which concerned issues relating to the forthcoming Broadcasting Bill, was not reflected in the document and was inaccurate in its tenor, Mr O Morain said.
Mr O Morain was continuing his evidence about the involvement of Department officials and documentation in 1989 and 1990. These related to an approach taken by the then Minister for Communications, Mr Ray Burke, and decisions taken concerning the introduction of franchises for local and national radio, Century Radio in particular, and the broadcasting legislation.
Mr O Morain agreed Century Radio went on air in September 1989 and in December it was in difficulties. He said the Department would have been aware of that and officials would have had a general interest but they had no involvement with Century Radio. That was the function of the Independent Radio and Television Authority (IRTC). The tribunal continues today.