‘I now regret the choices I made in those difficult and dark times ... my apologies’

LAST week, I put on the record of the House a number of the allegations that have been made against me at the tribunals. Each and every one of these charges is baseless.

They are false and are no more than a tissue of lies. However, these allegations were made and the tribunal is required to investigate them, insofar as they fall within their terms of reference…

In order to assist the tribunal with its inquiries into some of the lurid allegations made against me, I gave all my bank and financial records to the tribunal… which show that I have not enriched myself through politics and have not abused public office. It is deeply regrettable that these confidential records appeared in a newspaper…

The House will be aware that arising from financial pressures I encountered at the time of my separation, a number of my friends decided to come to my assistance. The loans I received from my friends totalled £39,000 — that is £22,500 plus £16,500. I wish to confirm to the House that on Friday I repaid each one of these loans with interest, calculated at 5% per annum compound and at a total cost of €90,867…

In my RTÉ interview, I put into the public domain that I had received a contribution arising from a function I attended in Manchester…

I do not know the exact amount of the sterling cash I received. However, I know that when I changed this money to Irish pounds, it came to £7,938.49…

This dinner was organised by the late Mr Tim Kilroe in the Four Seasons Hotel in Manchester. I had a long personal history with Mr Kilroe, whom I counted as a friend...

Mr Kilroe presented the monies to me and I presume he had collected them as well. Unfortunately, Mr Kilroe has since died, and it is not possible to obtain any list of attendees or contributors at this remove, 12 years later…

I did not receive the money as a fee for a speaking engagement. In fact, I did not even deliver a formal speech. I merely said a few words and engaged in an informal question-and-answer session. I did not solicit the money and I did not expect to receive it. I believe Mr Kilroe organised a collection at the function for me because he knew, through my friends, of my personal circumstances, and that he may perhaps have told others…

The sum in the region of £8,000 was not received by virtue of my office. It was given to me personally by a group of about 25 people to whom I spoke in a personal capacity…

I have received advice from counsel that I was not in breach of the 1983 Government Procedure Instruction [setting out general standards for ministers]…

Given my family and personal circumstances, which provided the context for the loans and gifts which I accepted in 1993 and 1994; and given the content of the ethical code in place then and since, I considered that I had not breached my obligations as an office holder in any way…

The Manchester event did not involve any quid pro quo for anybody…

I have been separately advised by two eminent tax advisers that I have no tax liability in respect of the Manchester monies…

The funds were later lodged to my bank account in AIB in Dublin…

There are few of us who — with the benefit of hindsight — would not change some of our past decisions. No one is infallible or perfect. If I had anticipated in 1993 and 1994 that my decision to accept loans from friends or the gift of monies in Manchester would cause such difficulties and media intrusion for my family and friends and would give rise to distortion of my motives and misrepresentation of my conduct, I would not have accepted a penny.

As I survey the events of the last two weeks, I realise that my judgement in accepting help from good and loyal friends and the gift in Manchester (albeit in the context of personal and family circumstances) was an error.

It was a misjudgement, although not in breach of any law or code of conduct at the time. It was not illegal or impermissible to have done what I did.

But I now regret the choices I made in those difficult and dark times. The bewilderment caused to the public about recent revelations has been deeply upsetting for me and others near and dear to me. To them and to the Irish people, I offer my apologies.