Mr Ray Burke today denied to the Flood tribunal that he was involved in any wrongdoing in suggesting the Independent Radio and Television Commission (IRTC) use the Ulster Bank in Dublin airport for its account.
Mr Burke also requested that Mr Donal O’Sullivan, an IRTC board member, at the first IRTC meeting propose that the IRTC use the chartered accountants Deloitte Haskins and Sells as auditors and the firm John S O’Conor as their solicitors.
The Ulster Bank at that time was the bank Mr Burke used for his personal current account. Mr Burke said the manager Mr William Moody was a friend and a constituent and he simply wanted to put a "bit of business his way". He added that Mr Pat Kenny of Deloitte Haskins and Sells had been very good to Fianna Fail when in opposition at budget time and that Mr Michael O’Conor of John S O’Conor was a life long supporter of Fianna Fail.
He said: "It was just a simple case of networking. I was putting people forward. That happens all the time even in the judiciary. Two of them were my constituents and the other had been good to Fianna Fail and it was simply a case of saying thank you."
Mr Pat Hanratty SC for the tribunal put it to Mr Burke that he was influencing what was supposed to be an independent body when he requested Mr O’Sullivan to propose Mr Burke’s suggestions to the IRTC.
Mr Burke denied this saying that when it came up at the meeting no one objected to the proposals and that to this day the IRTC still use the Ulster Bank as its own branch. "I did nothing improper," he said.
When asked why he went to Mr O’Sullivan and not the chairman of the IRTC, Mr Burke said that Mr O’Sullivan’s father and his own had served together in Leinster House and it was simply a political connection.