The Taoiseach is to resume his evidence to the Mahon tribunal in the week before Christmas, writes Colm Keena, Public Affairs Correspondent.
Bertie Ahern will give evidence on Thursday and Friday, December 20th and 21st, a Government spokesman confirmed after the tribunal website yesterday listed Mr Ahern as due to appear then.
Mr Ahern gave evidence over four days in September concerning a number of his foreign exchange transactions in 1994 and 1995.
In December it is expected he will be asked about what he has said were two "dig-outs" from friends in 1993 and 1994, and a sterling cash payment made to him in Manchester in 1994 by a number of UK-based Irish business figures.
The tribunal website has listed Mr Ahern's associate, Des Richard- son, as due to give evidence on Wednesday and Thursday, November 28th and 29th.
Mr Richardson, who last week gave evidence about raising £50,000 for Fianna Fáil at a dinner party in Cork in 1993, when he was a full-time party fundraiser, is to give evidence about his part in organising the "dig-outs" for Mr Ahern.
His evidence is to be followed by that of Pádraig O'Connor, the former managing director of NCB, who is scheduled to give evidence on Friday, November 30th and Tuesday, December 4th.
Mr Richardson has told the tribunal in private session that a £5,000 cheque from NCB which formed part of the first "dig-out" for Mr Ahern, was a personal donation from Mr O'Connor to Mr Ahern.
Mr O'Connor has informed the tribunal in private session that the cheque was a corporate donation to Mr Ahern's constituency operation and was not intended as a personal donation to Mr Ahern.
Philip Murphy, a former official with AIB O'Connell Street, Dublin, who dealt with Mr Ahern in the 1993 to 1995 period, is to return to give more evidence on Tuesday, November 27th. Mr Murphy gave evidence to the tribunal in July.
John Kennedy, a retired businessman who last year told RTÉ about being at the Manchester dinner, is also listed on the tribunal website as due to give evidence. Mr Kennedy and others Mr Ahern has said contributed to his two Irish "dig-outs", are listed as appearing "not before" December 7th.
Last year Mr Kennedy told RTÉ: "There were 25 or 27 Irishmen there and somebody came up with the idea of making a collection, something to give to Bertie, as Bertie had very often in the past spoken at dinners for us."
In his evidence in September Mr Ahern said he had tried to identify all who were at the dinner, but had been unable to. Another Manchester-based Irish businessman, Michael Wall, who was at the dinner but whom Mr Ahern has said did not contribute money, is scheduled to give evidence "not before" January 9th, 2008. Fianna Fáil Senator Tony Kett, who Mr Ahern has said was with him in Manchester, is scheduled to give evidence not before December 7th.
The tribunal is also investigating the purchase of a house in Drumcondra by Mr Wall in 1995, which he sold to Mr Ahern. A number of persons listed on the tribunal website as due to give evidence next year are connected with this matter. It is likely Mr Ahern will be recalled to give more evidence next year concerning the house.