O'Keeffe satisfied donation spent on election expenses

Mahon tribunal:Minister of State Batt O'Keeffe said he was satisfied that a £10,000 donation he received from Cork developer Owen O'Callaghan in 1992 was spent on election expenses, though the majority of it was lodged to his personal account.

Mr O'Callaghan gave Mr O'Keeffe the donation on November 9th before the general election. Mr O'Keeffe was running for election having lost his Dáil seat in 1989.

He said Mr O'Callaghan's parents lived behind him in Ballincollig, Co Cork, and were great friends. Mr O'Callaghan's mother was a well-respected midwife and his father was a good gardener who often gave him heads of cabbage and lettuce.

He said Mr O'Callaghan had expressed his regret when he lost his seat and it was "no surprise" to him when he called and offered his support for the 1992 general election.

The donation was unsolicited, the tribunal was told, and was given by cheque. The cheque was lodged to a personal account held by Mr O'Keeffe and his wife, Mary, on the following day.

The next month, £1,000 in cash was lodged to his general election account from the donation, Mr O'Keeffe said.

The balance of £9,000 was lodged, along with a further £1,750, to a second high-interest account on December 21st.

Counsel for the tribunal Patricia Dillon SC asked Mr O'Keeffe why he did not lodge the entire £10,000 to his election account.

Mr O'Keeffe said that in 1992 there were no rules and regulations around political donations. "It was common practice that you would intermingle personal funds with political donations."

He said election expenses were paid from his personal earnings as a senator and a lecturer at Cork Regional College. Expenses included supplying refreshments for four full-time teams of canvassers and up to 60 evening canvassers. He said it was the custom at the time to buy drink for canvassers and for "the house" when you went into the pub.

He said he was "well satisfied" in his mind that the donation was used for political expenses.

"This is a mental reimbursement," Ms Dillon said.

Mr O'Keeffe said Mr O'Callaghan had not asked for any favours for the donation he made. He also denied an allegation made by lobbyist Frank Dunlop that he had asked Mr O'Callaghan to give Dublin councillor GV Wright a political donation in November 1992.