Taoiseach says $50k donation was ‘wrong’

TAOISEACH Enda Kenny admitted a $50,000 political donation made to Fine Gael by Esat Digifone was “wrong” and said he regretted how long it took for his party to return the gift.

The secret payment, made at the request of Denis O’Brien just two months after his business won the competition to operate the mobile phone licence in 1995, was described as “inappropriate” by the Moriarty Tribunal Report.

It said details of the donations would “have remained hidden from public knowledge” had they not been exposed by the Sunday Tribune in 2001.