Revenue chief met Dunne at request of CJ

THE chairman of the Revenue Commissioners held a series of meetings with supermarket boss Ben Dunne in 1987 at the request of then Taoiseach Charles J Haughey at a time when Dunnes Stores was facing a multi-million pound tax bill.

The Moriarty Tribunal heard Dunnes Stores believed in the late 1980s that it could be exposed to a tax bill for 50% of the value of the group's family trust which was held for the benefit of Mr Dunne and his five siblings. The tax authorities had estimated the value of the Dunnes' holding as being worth up to £120m.

The inquiry has learned that Dunnes Stores felt it did not have the capacity to even pay its tax bill based on a lower valuation agreed with the Revenue of £82m.