Letter from Dr O'Hanlon to Mr Liam Lawlor

The following is the letter from Dr Rory O'Hanlon to Mr Liam Lawlor, reprinted in the report:

The following is the letter from Dr Rory O'Hanlon to Mr Liam Lawlor, reprinted in the report:

26th May 2000

Mr Liam Lawlor, Somerton House, Lucan, Co Dublin

Dear Liam,

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I received your letter of 25th inst. this afternoon while the committee was in session and thus we had an opportunity to immediately consider it. We have also considered your earlier letter of the 18th inst. and the information that you gave to the Committee during the interview on Wednesday the 17th inst.

Having considered the correspondence emanating from you, together with the information that you furnished to the committee during the interview, we are unanimously of the view that you are not giving your full assistance and co-operation to the Committee in its inquiry.

This lack of co-operation arises from the inadequacy and contradictory nature of the answers that you have furnished to the Committee - both in writing and during the course of the interview - and the fact that important information was only elicited from you after specific questioning by members of the Committee.

To date we have been given information in your written responses that fundamentally conflicts with information you gave during the course of the interview with the Committee.

By way of illustration, the information that you have furnished to the committee in your letter of today's date in respect of The Irish Consortium S.R.O. and concerning the payment of approximately £38,000 by Frank Dunlop does not reconcile with the information that you have given to the Committee in your interview. The Committee was informed by you during your interview that The Irish Consortium S.R.O. invoiced Frank Dunlop for services but you are now stating that it never had any dealings with Frank Dunlop.

The Committee has decided to write to you to put you on notice, in writing, that your lack of co-operation with the Committee could result in a severe sanction being imposed on you by the Fianna Fail party. Accordingly, we are giving you a further opportunity to assist and co-operate in answering the Committee's questions and an opportunity of explaining the contradictory information that you have already furnished to the Committee.

The Committee requires you to attend a meeting with it at Fianna Fail Headquarters on Monday 29th June 2000 at 2.00 p.m.

I must point out to you that you are the only person who has been interviewed by this Committee to whom we have had to write to in these terms.

Is mise le meas,

Dr Rory O'Hanlon, Chairman Fianna Fail Parliamentary Party