Flood: Builders gave Burke house for influence

RAY BURKE took part in what amounted to a corrupt transaction when he purchased his home in North Co Dublin, the Flood Tribunal has concluded.

Mr Burke told the Tribunal he bought the Briargate property on the Malahide Road in 1973 through a normal transaction involving his own funds and fees owed to him.

But the Tribunal says he was sold the property at a price well below its market value by a company owned by builder Tom Brennan and his associates.

The Tribunal said this transaction was aimed at ensuring Mr Burke, then a member of Dublin County Council and elected a TD in the same year, would act in their favour as a public representative.

The tribunal yesterday concluded: “In the opinion of the Tribunal the transfer of Briargate to Mr Burke amounted to a corrupt payment to him from Tom Brennan and his associates.”

In a lengthy statement to the tribunal in 1997, Mr Burke insisted the purchase and construction of the property was above board and he had nothing to hide.

He told the tribunal:

He had bought the land and built the house in a normal commercial transaction.

The transaction was subject to a Garda investigation into planning affairs in 1974 which had failed to find anything untoward in the purchase.

However, the tribunal yesterday concluded:

No one involved in the transaction gave a truthful account of how the property was acquired.

Mr Burke did not buy or build his home in a normal commercial transaction.

Mr Burke’s acquisition of his house was never subject to a Garda investigation.

He was given the property by its owners at a knock-down price in a bid to secure his support in Dublin County Council.

The tribunal also highlighted a statement by Mr Burke to the Dáil in 1997 which it believes is an acknowledgement by him of a serious conflict of interest.

In the context of another payment he said: “...There could have been some concern if I was a member of a local authority and in a position to influence any decision.”

The tribunal says this was an acknowledgement by him of apparent impropriety which would result from his receipt of a substantial benefit from directors of a building company while a member of Dublin County Council.

Mr Burke has since sold Briargate.