One of Fianna Fail's senior fundraisers during 1989 and 1990 told the tribunal he was unaware at the time that there was a fund set up by Mr Charles Haughey to help with the medical expenses of Mr Brian Lenihan.
Mr Roy Donovan gave evidence about a recommendation he made in 1991 to party fundraiser Mr Paul Kavanagh that a property developer, Mr Philip Monahan, could be a source of funds. Mr Kavanagh had been trying to raise an extra £50,000 for the Lenihan fund. Mr Donovan set up a meeting and Mr Monahan gave Mr Kavanagh a £25,000 cheque which went into the party leader's account.
Mr Monahan had said he was not told about the Lenihan fund and thought it was for Fianna Fail. Mr Kavanagh said he told Mr Monahan what it was for.
Mr Jerry Healy SC, for the tribunal, asked Mr Donovan about the meeting with Mr Kavanagh about the fund.
Mr Donovan stated: "I should explain that I had no knowledge of any previous collection. I was not at all involved, had no knowledge that any earlier money had been collected but this was just another bill for £50,000 that had to be met. It was only at that stage that I came on the scene."
Mr Healy said Mr Kavanagh must have told him what had been going on over the previous year or two. Mr Donovan replied: "No, he didn't explain that. He explained to me that the Boss, which was the term that would normally be used in connection with the then leader of Fianna Fail, was very generous and was helping him [Mr Lenihan] but he [Mr Kavanagh] didn't indicate to me at all that he had actually collected money for this purpose before he had come to me."
Mr Healy said Mr Kavanagh had indicated that he would have brought the fact he was collecting for Mr Lenihan to the attention of Mr Donovan and other fundraisers in 1989 when collecting for the general election.
"If he told me, I can't recall that. He may have but I just don't recall that," said Mr Donovan.
Mr Healy asked if he had any inkling in 1989 that Mr Lenihan was being assisted by the Taoiseach or by Fianna Fail members. "Not that I can remember, not until I was asked urgently to open the door for £50,000," he said.
Mr Donovan said in 1993 he went to Mr Monahan's house to ask if he would make a contribution to the party and believed Mr Monahan had confused this meeting with him which was some time after the meeting with Mr Kavanagh.
Mr Healy said the use made of the money in the Lenihan fund had generated the "hottest controversy". The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, had indicated the party would make available every scrap of information which might be of assistance. Why did Mr Donovan not bring his involvement to the tribunal's attention?
"In the context of the collection for Brian Lenihan, I felt it was an important piece of information but I felt this information would come forward by those who were immediately involved, Paul Kavanagh and Mr Monahan, because my evidence would have been hearsay . . . based on what Paul Kavanagh told me," he said.
The chairman asked Mr Donovan if he wished to comment on Mr Monahan's concern that he felt under undue pressure to make political contributions.
Mr Donovan replied: "I'm appalled to hear this. I've always made it absolutely clear to those from whom I have collected funds that there were no favours, number one, and number two, if they weren't of a mind to support the democratic system which involved funding parliamentary parties, I had no favours to offer."