There was no connection between the donation given to Mr Ray Burke by Mr James Gogarty and attempts by Mr Michael Bailey to get planning permission for the Murphy lands, the tribunal was told.
Mr Bailey said a letter he wrote on June 8th, 1989, which talked about him "procuring planning permission" for the Murphy lands was not related to the donation made to Mr Burke.
He was answering a question from counsel for the tribunal, Mr Desmond O'Neill SC, who referred to the letter and the donation and asked, "did you relate those two matters in your mind?" Mr Bailey said he did not.
Mr Bailey said the meeting he attended with Mr Gogarty in Mr Burke's home shortly before the 1989 general election, took place so Mr Gogarty could make a political donation on behalf of Mr Joseph Murphy snr of the Murphy group.
He said the letter he wrote to Mr Gogarty, which included a reference to "procuring planning permission and building bye-law approval", was a separate matter.
However, he agreed with Mr O'Neill his visit to Mr Burke's home took place in the same period as when he delivered the letter of June 8th to the headquarters of the Murphy group.
Mr Bailey said Mr Gogarty phoned him at home and said Mr
Murphy snr wanted to make a political donation to Fianna Fail. "I couldn't believe Mr Gogarty was asking me who he should make a political donation to," said Mr Bailey. "I was astonished to say the least," he added.
Mr Bailey said Mr Gogarty asked his "advice" on which person in Fianna Fail he might give the money to. "I don't know why he contacted me," said Mr Bailey.
"I just said to him quite clearly the local man in the area and the local minister in the area is Mr Ray Burke and I said `if you want to make a contribution to him, I will introduce you to him'," he said.
Mr O'Neill asked: "What advantage do you think that might have been to him?"
Mr Bailey replied: "Well I don't know what advantage. He was asking me a question. I answered the question. I said he was the local minister, the senior politician in the area for Fianna Fail and that was my suggestion to him."
Mr Bailey said after talking to Mr Gogarty he sought to arrange the meeting with Mr Burke "as soon as possible". On contacting Mr Burke, he said to bring Mr Gogarty along "any time that suits".
When asked how well he knew Mr Burke, Mr Bailey replied: "He was a public representative and I would meet him at any common meetings I would have attended and I was a builder in Swords. I was building beside his house in Carlton Court there and I'd meet him on the street."
Mr Bailey said he did not ask Mr Gogarty what size donation he was making on behalf of Mr Murphy snr.
Mr O'Neill said he wondered why Mr Bailey did not establish this, to ascertain whether it could be given at a church gate collection or sent in the post in response to an annual collection.
He said the introduction to Mr Burke would have been unnecessary if the contribution had been £5. "Maybe not. I think there might be as much respect for the fiver as there would be for the bigger contribution," Mr Bailey said.