TD's statement found in car park

A statement by Fine Gael TD Olivia Mitchell relating to allegations raised at the Mahon tribunal was found in the grounds of Leinster House in 2004, the tribunal was told yesterday.

Ms Mitchell could not explain how the document, recounting her recollection of an allegation against the late Fine Gael councillor, Tom Hand, could have ended up in the Leinster House car park.

Lobbyist Frank Dunlop had alleged that Mr Hand had asked him for £250,000 for his support of the Quarryvale project in 1992. He had said that he told Ms Mitchell and Fine Gael councillor Therese Ridge about the demand and subsequently complained to Fine Gael party leader John Bruton.

Counsel for the tribunal, Pat Quinn SC, gave a bizarre account of how the statement by Ms Mitchell was sent to the tribunal via a solicitor by the person who found it in April 2000. He said the person had opened the door of his car and found the document on the ground.

The document had a covering page titled "questionnaire" and contained a tribunal stamp dated March 28th, 1998. The tribunal had circulated questionnaires to members of the Oireachtas when it was established in 1998.

The document contained Ms Mitchell's statement, written in longhand, about her recollection of the allegation against Mr Hand. It also contained comments written in longhand by Ms Ridge.

Mr Quinn said it appeared that the document was faxed to O'Rafferty Poughley solicitors, who were working for Ms Ridge at the time, in April 2000. He noted that the fax was dated four days after the allegation against Mr Hand had broken in the press.

He also pointed out that the tribunal did not ask Ms Mitchell for a statement on the Tom Hand incident until 2004.

"Back in 2000 you were providing a statement which was being seen by Ms Ridge," he said. "Since the tribunal were not to ask you for another four years for your recollection of events, can you tell the tribunal how you came to prepare that statement in April 2000?"

Ms Mitchell said she may have prepared it for Fine Gael. Mr Quinn said Ms Ridge had been given an opportunity to read it and prepare her statement.

"That comes as a bit of a surprise to me," Ms Mitchell said. "I assumed that it was a document that was leaked from the tribunal." "No, it was not a document leaked from the tribunal," Mr Quinn said. Ms Mitchell said the only way Ms Ridge could have seen the document was if it had been sent to her by Fine Gael.

"Could it have been faxed to her by you, rather than Fine Gael?" Mr Quinn asked.

"It's possible, but I have no memory of doing that," Ms Mitchell replied.