Senior party figures linked to New York fundraiser

A number of senior Fine Gael figures in addition to the late Mr David Austin were identified to the US Department of Justice as being involved in organising a New York fund-raising dinner.

The dinner was connected with the controversial $50,000 donation to the party from Telenor.

Fine Gael told the US authorities it had raised $140,000 from the November 1995 dinner, attended by Mr John Bruton, then Taoiseach.

A spokesman for the Department of Justice in Washington said yesterday that six people, including Mr Jim Miley, then general secretary of Fine Gael, and Mr Sean Barrett, one of the party's TDs and then minister for defence, were listed as the "agents" of Fine Gael, responsible for its fund-raising activities in the US between November 1995 and May 1996.

Also listed were Mr Mark FitzGerald, chief executive of estate agents Sherry FitzGerald and subsequently Fine Gael's director of elections in 1997. Mr FitzGerald was on the list because he was a trustee of the party. Mr Sean Murray, Mr Aidan Browne and Mr Joseph Hern were also "agents".

It is unclear if anyone apart from Mr Austin was aware of Telenor's payment of $50,000 in respect of two tables at the dinner they organised.

Fine Gael has said only that Mr Austin was aware of Telenor's payment on behalf of Esat Digifone, which a month earlier had been awarded the second mobile phone licence by the Fine Gael-led government.

Mr John Bruton said yesterday he had been told by Mr Austin in early 1996 that as a result of the New York dinner "a donation was available to Fine Gael from a company connected with Esat". Mr Bruton said he turned down the donation.

Mr Austin subsequently paid the money to Fine Gael in May 1997, describing it as a personal contribution.

The point of contact between Mr Austin and the party was Mr Miley, who accepted the money as a personal contribution unconnected with the US fundraising effort in which both men had been involved.

According to Fine Gael, Mr Miley only became aware of the real source of the funds in February 1998 when Telenor contacted Fine Gael about the payment. Mr Miley was not available for comment last night.

It has also emerged that Mr Frank Conroy, the Fine Gael supporter to whom Mr Austin made the cheque payable, was a business associate of Mr Barrett, another member of the US fund-raising group. Mr Conroy is on the board of Mr Barrett's bloodstock insurance business. Mr Barrett declined to comment last night.