Five visits by Gilmartin recorded in Leinster House diary

Fresh Evidence of when the property developer, Mr Tom Gilmartin, visited Leinster House - during which time he claims he met …

Fresh Evidence of when the property developer, Mr Tom Gilmartin, visited Leinster House - during which time he claims he met a group of ministers, including the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern - has been uncovered in official files.

The disclosures indicate the high level of contact Mr Gilmartin had with politicians in Leinster House, including Mr Padraig Flynn, to whom he alleges he gave £50,000 in 1989.

The Dail diary shows that Mr Gilmartin was "signed in" on five occasions in 1989 - on February 3rd, May 10th and 23rd, July 20th and October 25th.

According to a Government spokesman, Mr Ahern did not meet Mr Gilmartin on any of these dates, but he has already confirmed meeting him three times - twice in 1988 and once in September 1989.

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According to the handwritten entries in the Dail diary, which were examined by the Superintendent of the House, Mr Eamon O'Donoghue, Mr Gilmartin was brought in by the then minister for the environment, Mr Flynn, on four of these occasions. Senator Willie Farrell, from Sligo, endorsed the fifth visit.

Although there is no entry for a visit by him on February 1st, 1989, Mr Gilmartin again insisted yesterday that he went to Leinster House on that date and was brought in by Mr Liam Lawlor, the Dublin West TD.

Mr Gilmartin said he encountered a group of ministers, including the then Taoiseach, Mr Charles Haughey. The others, he added, included Mr Ahern, Mr Flynn, the then minister for industry and commerce, Mr Ray Burke, the late Mr Brian Lenihan and the government chief whip, Mr Seamus Brennan. He also claimed that the then minister for education, Ms Mary O'Rourke, came into the room very briefly.

According to Mr Gilmartin, no actual "meeting" took place. The ministers were gathered round a table, but he was not invited to sit down. Mr Haughey then entered the room and said "I know you", but Mr Gilmartin said he had replied that he had been living in England for the previous 30 years.

Mr Haughey then told him he knew Lislary, Co Sligo, where Mr Gilmartin came from, because he had a holiday home there.