Businessman Norman Turner gave $10,000 in cash to a Fianna Fáil fundraiser in 1994, writes Colm Keena.
In June of 2000 the Taoiseach's close associate, former Fianna Fáil fundraiser Des Richardson, issued a statement about the effort to develop a casino and conference centre at the disused Phoenix Park racecourse during the 1990s.
He was responding to media reports that the late Liam Lawlor had said he had been offered £100,000 in return for supporting the Sonas casino, as the project was called. Mr Lawlor said the offer had been made to him by Mr Richardson, on behalf of Sonas, in 1994.
Mr Richardson said it was the case that he had organised a meeting between Mr Lawlor and one of the Sonas directors, at the director's request, but denied that he had conveyed any offer of money.
It was a rare public comment from Mr Richardson and it concluded: "I do not intend to make any further comment in relation to the matter."
But it seems the 1990s casino controversy, and links to Mr Ahern, just won't go away. The director whom Mr Richardson put in contact with Mr Lawlor is understood to have been Robert White, a Dublin businessman and friend of Mr Ahern's since their school days.
Mr Richardson, whom Mr Ahern had appointed full-time fundraiser for Fianna Fáil in 1993, worked as a consultant for the consortium. And Mr Ahern has confirmed that he attended Manchester United fixtures in England during the 1993 to 1994 period, as a guest of Mr Turner.
It has now emerged that in August 1994, Mr Ahern was involved in assisting Mr Turner get an Irish passport.
Mr Ahern has stated that he was at all times opposed to the multi-million casino project, though there is nothing on the public record to support this prior to 1997.
On the eve of the general election of that year, Mr Ahern released a statement outlining his opposition to the casino. The project was strongly opposed by a well-organised residents' group.
The casino issue raised its head again in November of last year when Mr Richardson gave evidence to the Mahon tribunal about receiving an unexpected donation of $10,000 in cash from Mr Turner, in Manchester, in April or May 1994.
Mr Richardson said he had met Mr Turner in Dublin and had been invited by him to Manchester to see a soccer match. He did not know Mr Turner well at the time, he said. At a "liquid lunch" prior to the match, Mr Turner gave him the envelope, said the money was for Fianna Fáil and that he wanted the matter kept confidential.
When he returned to Dublin he put the cash in a safe. He did not lodge it to a Fianna Fáil account but rather used it to buy Irish currency, which he spent buying corporate gifts to be presented at party fundraising events, he said.
Mr Richardson said Mr Ahern was not in Manchester on the weekend of the contribution.
Mr Turner has not responded to correspondence sent to him by the Mahon tribunal over the years. The tribunal is not now inquiring into the casino project.
The project managed to receive planning permission but was never granted a casino licence. Why Mr Turner, a British national, wanted an Irish passport is not known. He got a new Irish passport in 2006, when he made the application in person at the Irish Embassy in Berne, Switzerland.
Government statement on Turner passport:
Any suggestion of impropriety regarding the issuing of a passport to Mr Norman Turner is totally without foundation.
Deputy Phil Hogan was informed in reply to a written parliamentary question that the passport was issued on 9 thAugust 1994 and this was done in accordance with normal procedures for applications forwarded by the offices of the Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas.
It is amazing that the RTE 9pm news report did not give this statement prominence in its coverage.
Mr Turner acquired Irish citizenship as was his absolute right through his mother who was born in Cork in 1929.
This was Mr Turner's entitlement and in full accordance with existing citizenship laws.
The suggestion that there was anything in any way out of the ordinary relating to a passport application being returned through the offices of Bertie Ahern TD is absolute fallacy.
It is not unusual for passport applications to be routed through offices of Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas.
Indeed, in 2007, over 6,200 passports were processed in this manner.
The Taoiseach has never denied being acquainted with Norman Turner.
Indeed he previously confirmed he attended Manchester United games with Mr Turner.
It is also a matter of public record that Mr Ahern opposed the casino project that Mr Turner was associated with.
The disingenuous implication made by Deputy Phil Hogan this evening regarding a routine passport application is categorically rejected.
Issued at 11.17pm.