Senator: Taoiseach casino controversy must be clarified

GREEN PARTY senator Dan Boyle has said the casino controversy involving Taoiseach Bertie Ahern needs “to be clarified”.

He said the involvement of the state-owned National Lottery in the casino project, in particular, needed examination.

But in keeping with the Green Party position since it entered coalition with Fianna Fáil, Mr Boyle said they were matters for the tribunal to clarify — meaning they won’t seek answers from Mr Ahern.

The Taoiseach has denied giving the lottery approval to enter an agreement with the consortium behind the casino when he was finance minister in the early 1990s. Involved in the consortium was English property developer Norman Turner, who gave Fianna Fáil a $10,000 donation in 1994.

Mr Ahern has already confirmed he attended a number of soccer matches in Manchester in the 1990s as a guest of Mr Turner.

But Mr Ahern says he was not in favour of the casino project, and did not give the lottery approval to sign a non-disclosure agreement with the consortium. The casino ultimately failed to proceed.

Speaking on Newstalk radio station yesterday, Mr Boyle said: “We have to hear further evidence about it in relation to the casino proposal and the involvement of a state agency with that proposal. I think that’s an area that does need to be clarified and it would be helpful that further evidence in the tribunal will do that.”

Asked if he agreed with Fianna Fáil backbenchers seeking clarification directly from the Taoiseach Mr Boyle said: “Internal Fianna Fáil politicking is best left to Fianna Fáil.

“The Taoiseach is expected to make further contributions to the Mahon Tribunal and the tribunal has to assess the credibility of that evidence and whether there is a case to answer and our position hasn’t changed in relation to that.”

Prior to the election, the Greens were arguably the most vehement critics of Mr Ahern’s decision to accept payments from friends and businessmen in the 1990s. But since the party entered coalition with Fianna Fáil, it has adhered rigidly to the position the payments and related issues are a matter for the tribunal.