Financier Dermot Desmond, in a response to the tribunal's findings after their publication, said he would like to thank the tribunal "for exonerating me and finding that I received no favours from Charlie Haughey".

Mr Desmond, in a lengthy statement, commented on the time the tribunal had taken to do its work and the expense to the taxpayer. He said Mr Haughey had backed his, Mr Desmond's ideas, "and shared the same vision of a new prosperous Ireland".

He said "the key point is that no favours were sought and none were received". He said the fact that he had made payments from accounts outside the State was not surprising as he lived outside the State. "I was not under investigation and the tribunal was not entitled to my private accounts."