Taoiseach did not attend meeting with Bailey, tribunal told

Mr Ray Burke said yesterday he had never attended a meeting with the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, together with the developer, Mr Michael…

Mr Ray Burke said yesterday he had never attended a meeting with the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, together with the developer, Mr Michael Bailey.

Mr John Gallagher SC, for the tribunal, asked Mr Burke about a meeting which he had with Mr Michael Bailey at his home on June 29th, 1997.

Mr Burke said it was just Mr Bailey and himself. He asked Mr Bailey to come and see him.

"I informed Mr Bailey that I had been informed by the Taoiseach that Mr Gogarty had been given immunity from prosecution if he co-operated by making a signed statement to the gardai," Mr Burke said.

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He had also asked Mr Bailey about the circumstances of his contact with the Taoiseach and wanted to have confirmed to him (Mr Burke) his memory of the meeting in June 1989.

"Mr Bailey was very upset that my political career was being put under threat, or could be put under threat, by false accusations by Mr Gogarty and indicated to me that he was concerned that I was being caught in the middle of a row which I had nothing to do with between the Murphy organisation and Mr Gogarty," he said.

Mr Bailey indicated to him that if Mr Joseph Murphy snr could be persuaded to sit down with Mr Gogarty and just have a reconciliation that would probably pacify Mr Gogarty.

Mr Burke said he had no knowledge as to whether it would or it would not and Mr Bailey went away. That was the tenor of the meeting.

Mr Gallagher asked if he understood him correctly that he was saying the Taoiseach did not attend that meeting or any other meeting with him and Mr Bailey.

"Correct. I was never at a meeting with Mr Ahern and Mr Bailey," Mr Burke said.

Mr Gallagher asked if, at the meeting with Mr Bailey, there was any suggestion about making a payment to Mr Gogarty.

Mr Burke said that did not arise; it was a question of trying to bring Mr Gogarty to a meeting with Mr Murphy snr and that was totally out of his control.

Mr Gallagher referred to evidence given to the tribunal by Mr Dermot Ahern TD.

Mr Ahern had said he had met Mr Joseph Murphy jnr in Dublin. Mr Ahern said Mr Murphy told him (Mr Ahern) that Mr Bailey had given him (Mr Murphy) information. Mr Bailey had told Mr Murphy that there had been a three-hour meeting between him (Mr Bailey), the Taoiseach and Mr Burke.

Mr Burke said: "That meeting never took place."

Mr Gallagher said Mr Ahern had also said that in that conversation Mr Bailey had told Mr Murphy there had been a suggestion of an offer of £100,000 to Mr Gogarty to go away.

Mr Burke said: "First of all, there was no such meeting of the Taoiseach, Mr Bailey and myself so if he was wrong about the composition of the meeting, then it is fair to assume he was wrong about everything else about the meeting."

Mr Gallagher asked about a suggestion of a £100,000 contribution.

"No such conversation took place," Mr Burke said.