Mahon tribunal: Landowner Christopher Jones gave Minister for Social Affairs Séamus Brennan £4,700 for Fianna Fáil's use in south Dublin and nationally during the 1990s, the tribunal has heard.
Mr Jones, whose land at Ballycullen in south Dublin was rezoned in 1992, gave Mr Brennan £3,000 in 1994 to help reduce Fianna Fáil's debts, it emerged yesterday. A further £1,700 was contributed through an intermediary to fundraising events in Mr Brennan's constituency in south Dublin between 1992 and 2002.
Mr Brennan, however, told the tribunal yesterday he was never lobbied about the rezoning of Ballycullen, had no direct contact with Mr Jones and never received any political contributions directly from him.
He was not on the council at the time and he had no interest in the issue. While he could vaguely recall some fuss being kicked up about Ballycullen, he had no more knowledge about it than the man in the street.
The tribunal is investigating allegations by lobbyist Frank Dunlop that he bribed seven councillors for their support on the rezoning.
Mr Brennan told the inquiry he merely acted as a postman for a £3,000 contribution, which was given after a fundraising dinner hosted by the then taoiseach Albert Reynolds in Firhouse in 1994. He was national organiser at the time. "This money was not for me. It was for the party."
After the function, Mr Jones wrote to Mr Brennan enclosing two £1,500 cheques as a contribution to reducing the party's overdraft. He thanked the politician for an "enjoyable and instructive" evening and said the taoiseach had been "very open and honest" in after-dinner discussions.
Pat Quinn SC, for the tribunal, said Mr Brennan's statement that he had no contact with the Jones group was therefore incorrect: he had clearly met Mr Jones.
Mr Brennan said his statement referred to contact with Mr Jones in relation to fundraising golf classics.
Mr Quinn said Mr Jones had contributed £200 in 1992, £500 in 1999 and €650 in 2002 to Mr Brennan's election funds. A further contribution of £850 was split - £500 to Mr Brennan and £350 to a local charity. The contributions were made through Mr Jones's farm manager Frank Brooks, a Fianna Fáil member in Mr Brennan's constituency, at golf and poker classics.
Mr Brennan said he understood this money as coming from Mr Brooks in his personal capacity as a Fianna Fáil member. He was certain he had no discussions with Mr Jones or anyone else about the Ballycullen lands. He was not on the council and he had no interest in them, he said.
