Cowen will not say if tribunal queried Boyne site purchase

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen has refused to say whether his department was requested by a state tribunal to hand over files relating to a land deal involving an associate of Bertie Ahern.

In the Dáil yesterday, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny asked the Taoiseach whether his department had been asked for the file relating to the state’s purchase of the Battle of the Boyne commemorative site.

Mr Kenny said the site had been bought for £2.7 million in 1997, only to be sold on to the state two years later for £7.8m.

One of the shareholders in the company which profited from selling the site to the state was a close associate of Mr Ahern, Taoiseach at the time.

Although not referring to the shareholder by name, Mr Kenny said Mr Ahern’s “acquaintance… made a substantial finder’s fee” on the deal.

The Fine Gael leader asked Mr Cowen if he could confirm that this file was one of those requested by various tribunals.

But Mr Cowen refused to answer, saying all requests from tribunals were confidential.

“People must understand that it would be totally inappropriate for me to divulge any information about the correspondence received in my department from the various tribunals,” he said.

Mr Kenny said he would table further questions on the issue.