Memory of bank run fails to trigger

THE Taoiseach’s former partner Celia Larkin says in January 1995 she withdrew IR£50,000 from AIB, O’Connell Street, Dublin, in a package and brought it outside to Mr Ahern. The money originally was his, the tribunal has heard.

Ms Larkin says Mr Ahern was waiting for her in a car he was driving.

Ms Larkin has told the tribunal she remembers the detail of withdrawing the funds for Mr Ahern after he helped jog her memory.

During questioning by tribunal barrister Des O’Neill yesterday, Mr Ahern could not recall the details of receiving the money.

Des O’Neill: When you come to this incident, you were driving your own car were you? Were you a car owner and a car driver at the time?

Bertie Ahern: Yes. I didn’t take on a permanent person until, I think, March of ’95. I had some people who were doing days for me here and days for me there.

DON: My question is really directed towards establishing whether you were a driver of the car at the time or not?

BA: I was.

DON: And you were the insured driver?

BA: Yes.

DON: And the owner of the car at the time?

BA: Yes.

DON: You don’t remember the incident of driving down and stopping at the bank when this transaction took place?

BA: I don’t, no. I do recall she gave me the money back, I know I got the money.

DON: Well, do you recall her giving you the money in O’Connell Street when you were in the car?

BA: I don’t.

DON: Is your recollection that you recall her giving the money to you in St Luke’s?

BA: I don’t really recall that either, but I know I got the money back. If I was to remember every time I drove up and down O’Connell Street in my life I’d be doing very well, but I don’t. Not on that day. She gave me the money. The issue here is the money was taken out on the 19th of January and she gave me the money, there is no doubt about that.

DON: I am endeavouring, I suppose Mr Ahern, to understand in a way how it is that Ms Larkin says in the first instance that she relied upon your recollection of events so as to allow her to say that she had been involved in this transaction, yet you apparently have no recollection at all of the transaction, save that you got money back at some stage?

BA: I got the money back, there’s no doubt about that.