Garda’s attendance at Ahern fundraiser queried

THE Labour Party last night said it was surprised that the Garda Commissioner concluded that that a senior officer who attended a fundraising function for Taoiseach Bertie Ahern’s St Luke’s operation wasn’t identifying himself publicly with Fianna Fáil.

Assistant Commissioner Martin Donnellan attended the annual fundraiser for Mr Ahern’s O’Donovan Rossa Cumann in Clontarf Castle Hotel on December 1 last. A report in a newspaper the following Sunday listed a name of prominent supporters and friends of Mr Ahern who were present, and also noted that Mr Donnellan had attended.

Arising from the report, a parliamentary question was tabled by Cork South Central Deputy Ciarán Lynch to Justice Minister Brian Lenihan referring to the fundraising event and asking him to outline the regulations governing the involvement of members of An Garda Síochána in party political matters.