Return to power - and controversy

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Burke, must be much preoccupied this weekend - with the upcoming Stormont talks and the intense controversy surrounding his receipt of a large political contribution from a building firm in 1989.

However, the seven-times minister, former minister of state, chairman of Dublin County Council and Dail deputy since 1973 must have seen the trouble coming. The "rumour and innuendo" - as Mr Burke referred to it in his statement this week - surfaced before the general election.

Mr Dermot Ahern was appointed by his party leader to investigate the affair and did so. Satisfied that nothing untoward was involved, the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, appointed Mr Burke to what is, arguably, his Government's most important portfolio.

Mr Burke now finds himself fighting against the "vicious campaign" he says has been launched against him, while at the same time having to preside over his Government's involvement in the peace process. It is an unhappy scenario which, given the ongoing fallout from the Dunnes payments to politicians tribunal, is unlikely to go away in the short term. However, Mr Burke is probably better equipped to deal with it than most. Perhaps he would say it is something he is used to.

Ray Burke is the son of the late Patrick J. Burke, a TD for Dublin county constituencies from 1944 until his retirement in 1973. On his father's retirement Mr Burke put himself forward, was successful and has managed to hold the seat ever since.

Controversy was soon his bedfellow. Just a year after his election he was a central figure in reports in Hibernia and the Sunday Independent concerning land re-zonings in his north Co Dublin home base. The reports led to a protracted Garda inquiry and a file was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions, but no charges were brought.

Mr Burke's political career survived the affair. In 1978 he was appointed by the then Taoiseach, Mr Jack Lynch, to the position of minister of state at the Department of Industry, Commerce and Energy, a position he held until 1980.

He voted for the late Mr George Colley and against Mr Charles Haughey in the leadership contest that followed Mr Lynch's retirement in 1979, but was nevertheless promoted by Mr Haughey to the position of Minister for the Environment. He served from October 1980 to June 1981.

Mr Burke served again as Minister for the Environment from March to December 1982 but was removed from the front bench in 1983, having again voted against Mr Haughey during a leadership heave. However, again the deputy from Swords was forgiven by his north Dublin colleague. He was returned to the front bench as spokesman on the environment.

With the return to power of Mr Haughey, Mr Burke was once again at the cabinet table. He served as Minister for Energy and Communications from March 1987 to November 1988, and was then given the wider brief of Minister for Industry, Commerce and Communications, a position he held until July 1989.

It was in this latter position that Mr Burke made decisions related to export credit insurance on beef sales to Iraq. He replaced Mr Albert Reynolds and took Iraq off-cover for insurance in 1989. Following the publication of the beef tribunal report Mr Burke strongly rejected suggestions that, if he had been more forthcoming when answering questions in the Dail, the tribunal might not have been necessary.

In the years 1989 to 1991 he was appointed by Mr Haughey to two senior portfolios: justice and communications.

Mr Burke introduced new legislation which extended the definition of rape, outlawed rape within marriage and allowed for a life sentence for rapists. He also announced his intention to decriminalise homosexuality, a decision which was implemented some years later. He also abolished the death penalty, a decision which he said gave him great personal pleasure.

During his period as Minister for Justice Mr Burke was scathing in his condemnation of IRA violence.

However, there was also controversy. As minister for justice Mr Burke signed naturalisation certificates that allowed Sheik Khalid Mahfouz and 10 of his family friends to become Irish citizens. Sheikh Mahfouz was later indicted in the US for fraudulent activities in relation to the BCCI banking collapse. Mr Burke said his role was simply that of signing the documents over a weekend in December 1990. This was a function normally reserved for an assistant secretary in the department. There were reports at the time that Mr Haughey wanted to speed the naturalisation process for Sheikh Mahfouz.

With the resignation of Mr Haughey and the ascendancy of Mr Albert Reynolds, Mr Burke found himself doing time on the back benches. However, the rise to power of Mr Ahern has once again returned the Dail deputy from Swords to the centre of power. And controversy.

Fact File

Name: Ray Burke Occupation: Minister for Foreign Affairs. Resigned as company director Willis Corroon (Ire) Ltd, a Dublin insurance brokers specialising in corporate business, on appointment to Cabinet. Family: married to Anne Fassbender; two daughters. Why in the news: released statement this week denying reports he had received £80,000 in political contributions at a meeting with builders during the 1989 general election.