A businessman who delivered a £30,000 donation to Mr Ray Burke in June 1989 was financially involved in one of the successful bidders for the two commercial radio licences in Dublin.
Mr Paul Power owned a 12 per cent share of the controlling company behind Radio 2000, which broadcasts today as 98 FM.
Mr Power, the then managing director of the refrigeration company, Novum, accompanied Mr Robin Rennicks of Rennicks Manufacturing to Mr Burke's house in Swords on June 7th, 1989. There, the two men handed over a cheque for £30,000 on behalf of Fitzwilton, the parent company of Novum and Rennicks.
Fitzwilton says it intended the money as a political donation to Fianna Fail.
Mr Power described his involvement with the radio controlling company as "absolutely tiny". He left shortly after the station was launched because "media types are not my people".
The Irish Times has also ascertained that Mr Liam Conroy, the former chief executive of the Murphy group, held a 9.8 per cent stake in the other successful bidder for a commercial radio licence in Dublin, Capital Radio Productions.
Mr Conroy, who died a number of years ago, has featured prominently at the Flood tribunal, which is investigating the payment by Murphys of at least £30,000 to Mr Burke.
Mr Conroy was chairman of Capital Radio Productions, which broadcasts today as FM 104. He ceased to act as chief executive of Murphys in June 1988, after a boardroom battle.
In May 1989 Mr Burke received a donation of £35,000 from Mr Oliver Barry, who was chairman and joint owner of Century Communications. Century won the contest for the first national independent radio licence in January 1989, and started broadcasting the following Sept ember.
All commercial licences were awarded by the Independent Radio and Television Commission, which operated independently of the Minister. A spokesperson for the IRTC said Mr Burke had no input into the selection process.
This was confirmed by former members; one told The Irish Times that decisions were based on normal business criteria.
Mr Burke has acknowledged receiving £117,000 in donations in a three-week period in the run-up to the general election in June 1989. This included donations of £35,000, £30,000 and £30,000.
In March 1989 Mr Burke intervened in a dispute between RTE and Century over transmission fees and forced RTE to reduce its demand for fees by one-third, thereby saving Century about £200,000.
In the early 1990s Mr Burke introduced broadcasting legislation which placed a cap on RTE's revenue and diverted millions of pounds to commercial radio.
The terms of reference of the tribunal were extended in June 1998 following disclosure of the Rennicks payments to Mr Burke.
Originally established to investigate the Murphy lands and the planning status of their lands in north Dublin, the tribunal is now to investigate all payments to Mr Burke.