The former taoiseach, Mr Albert Reynolds, has told the tribunal he believes there was a meeting "of some description" in Leinster House between property developer Mr Tom Gilmartin and government ministers, but that he was not at it.
Mr Reynolds told the tribunal he was satisfied, on the evidence given so far, that there had been a meeting, as Mr Gilmartin had claimed.
But he said he never had a face-to-face meeting with the developer.
He said he had experience of meeting people in the ministerial corridor in Leinster House.
It was clear there was "some misunderstanding" by others who had interpreted the tribunal's questions as referring to a formal meeting, he added.
However, Mr Reynolds said he had no recollection of meeting Mr Gilmartin in Leinster House.
He believed that if he had met the property developer, he would remember it, as Mr Gilmartin was from Co Sligo.
Mr Reynolds pointed out that he went to school in Sligo and worked there for a spell, and his wife was from the county.
The former taoiseach insisted that if he met someone from Sligo, he would have asked where the person was from, who he was related to etc.
He said he had no reason to exclude himself from the claimed meeting; there was nothing untoward about it.
He said that a government should be trying to promote development, especially at a time when the economy was on the rocks.
"I don't know what the big issue is about this meeting," he remarked.
Ms Patricia Dillon SC, for the tribunal, pointed out that the taoiseach at the time, Mr Charles Haughey, had dismissed Mr Reynolds and Mr Pádraig Flynn after an unsuccessful heave in November of 1991.
Mr Haughey resigned in February 1992 after a further heave succeeded, and was followed as taoiseach by Mr Reynolds.
Mr Reynolds appointed Mr Flynn as minister for justice and Mr Michael Smith as minister for environment.
Mr Smith began an inquiry into allegations of political corruption which proved very unpopular with local councillors, he acknowledged.
Asked whether he was closely affiliated to Mr Flynn, the witness replied that both men had been colleagues in government and had entered the Dáil in the same year, 1977.
Ms Dillon asked if Mr Reynolds had been told of an allegation in relation to Mr Flynn, would that be a reason not to appoint Mr Flynn to the Department of the Environment?
Mr Reynolds said this was "the realm of speculation".
If he had been told about allegations, he would have had them investigated.
Asked when he became aware of the £50,000 payment to Mr Flynn, he said he saw press reports in 1998.
