Ahern reiterates denial of Gilmartin meeting

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern insisted yesterday that he is sticking to his account of his meetings with property developer Tom Gilmartin.

Despite reports that former minister Mary O’Rourke will directly contradict the Taoiseach at the Planning Tribunal in the coming months regarding an alleged controversial meeting with Mr Gilmartin, Mr Ahern again reiterated his denial that the meeting ever took place.

According to Mr Gilmartin, those present at the September 1989 meeting included the then Taoiseach Charles Haughey, the then ministers Bertie Ahern, Brian Lenihan and Pádraig Flynn and then FF TD Liam Lawlor. But the Taoiseach always denied any knowledge of this meeting.

After the meeting, the property developer claims he was approached by an unknown man, who gave him an Isle of Man bank account number and told him to lodge £5 million.

Responding to reports in the Sunday Independent and Ireland on Sunday that Senator O’Rourke will place the Taoiseach at the meeting, Mr Ahern said his account of events remains the same.

“I think in all of these cases, the tribunal asks questions, people confidentially reply to those questions and the tribunal then deals with the matter. I quite frankly don’t know what Mary O’Rourke said, or anybody else said, I just know what I said and it’s a matter for the tribunal after that,” he said.

“I have given my evidence to the tribunal and anything that I have said in the Dáil is the same. That’s correct,” he added.

While Senator O’Rourke, now the leader of the Seanad, confirmed yesterday she made a submission under oath to the tribunal, she declined to confirm or deny any details of its contents.

The former minister said she gave her submission in the belief it was private until revealed at the tribunal.

Minister for Transport Seamus Brennan last night backed up the Taoiseach’s version of events.

Speaking on RTÉ’s The Week In Politics, Mr Brennan, a cabinet member at the time, said he had no memory of the alleged meeting.

The Gilmartin session, due to start next month, promises to be dramatic and will also include questions to former European Commissioner Padraig Flynn.