The former government press secretary, Mr Frank Dunlop, told the Flood tribunal that a payment he gave former Fine Gael councillor Liam T. Cosgrave for assistance in rezoning land could have looked like a "Christmas present".
Mr Dunlop said he paid Mr Cosgrave - the son of former taoiseach Liam - £5,000 for putting forward motions to Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown Council for the rezoning of lands owned by controversial property company, Jackson Way Limited.
The £5,000 payment was broken into two parts of £2,500 with the last payment being made in the bar in Buswells Hotel on December 23rd, 1997.
Asked how that payment was handed over or packaged to Mr Cosgrave, Mr Dunlop said: "I'm not going to get into descriptions of bags...but it could well have looked like a Christmas present".
The tribunal also heard that Mr Cosgrave was not alone when he received the final payment. Mr Dunlop said that Mr Cosgrave was not accompanied by an adult and he confirmed to the tribunal the Mr Cosgrave was accompanied by two or more others. The names of the other individuals were written down by Mr Dunlop.
A former Fianna Fáil councillor, Mr Tony Fox was also paid £5,000 for assistance in attempting to get the Carrickmines lands rezoned, according to Mr Dunlop.
The agreed payment was supposed to be £6,250, also to come in two parts - one of £1,250 and the other £5,000 - with a further payment of between £10,000 and £15,000 if the rezoning was successful.
However, Mr Dunlop said he only paid Mr Fox a total of £5,000 and added that Mr Fox did not seem to mind and appeared "happy to get the money".
Mr Cosgrave and Mr Fox, in separate statements to the tribunal, have denied receiving payments from Mr Dunlop in relation to rezoning.
Mr Dunlop will continue his evidence at 10.30 a.m. tomorrow.