Tribunals have led to cut in donations, Flood told

The work of the various tribunals has brought a near-end to politicians receiving donations for election campaigns, according to a senator at the centre of the Flood tribunal.

Mr Don Lydon told the sitting in Dublin Castle this morning the situation of old, whereby he would often receive large unsolicited donations from supporters, some of whose names he did not even know, had largely ceased.

A veteran of five Senate and three local council elections, Mr Lydon described the various campaigns as a "very expensive" excercise, for which he received little or no help from his Fianna Fáil party. He therefore had to rely on donations from well-wishers.

The most he ever got was £5,000 from a close friend of his to help pay for the 1992 local elections. He also described being given a cheque for £5,000 for the same campaign in a south Dublin pub by a man he had only met once before.

Although he was aware this man was involved in property development, Mr Lydon insisted he had never asked for planning favours. It was a "pure fluke" he said.

The Senator also described receiving an unsolicited cheque for £500 from a company owned by a man - whose name he did not know - with whom he had discussed sailing in another pub in west Dublin.

Mr Lydon also described receiving a cheque for £100 from a man who was only wearing a towel when he knocked at his door while canvassing in the Dublin suburb of Mount Merrion.

This benefactor listened to Mr Lydon's election speech and disappeared, returning minutes later with the cheque and the assurance that he "would have every vote in the house," Mr Lydon said.

"Generally, people would just give me money," he said. He had only ever held one fundraiser, in 1991, to raise campaign funds. This netted him "several thousand pounds".

But the work of the Flood Tribunal had put paid to this steady flow of support, and he was even considering holding a golf classic to help pay for the next Senate run, Mr Lydon told the tribunal.

He acknowledged receiving £1,000 from Mr Frank Dunlop and £2,500 from Monarch Properties. These were legitimate political contributions, he said.