One of the directors of a building company that has been wound up said yesterday she could not recall whether the firm had over the past five weeks received a €30,000 payment from Dublin City Council, its chief client.

Ms Joyce Kelly, of Keldar Construction, said she would have to check her accounts before she was 100 per cent sure whether the money had been received.

A solicitor for Keldar, Mr Doug Smith of Eugene F. Collins, added that some money had "come in" and was being held in a client account by the auditors, Swan O'Sullivan.

He was responding to claims by several creditors that Dublin City Council had paid €30,000 to Keldar before its winding up on the understanding the money would be used to discharge some of its debts.

The accounts show some €120,000 outstanding to the Revenue Commissioners and €155,000 to other creditors, of which €65,000 is a Bank of Ireland overdraft.

Keldar ceased operating in April following trading difficulties.

The second director, Ms Agnes Arkins, did not attend the meeting. She is understood to be in Spain.

The firm, which had two directors and a single employee, operated from Ms Kelly's home in Sutton, hiring plant and machinery on a job-by-job basis.

Mr Ken Fennell of Kavanagh Fennell was appointed liquidator.