ANALYSIS: FG's fundraising may be examined as the Moriarty Tribunal resumes, writes Colm Keena

The connection, if any, between the competition for the State's second mobile phone licence run by the Department of Transport, Energy and Communications in 1995, and fundraising by Fine Gael looks likely to feature in the Moriarty Tribunal hearings due to resume today.

The tribunal has been conducting what the chairman, Mr Justice Moriarty, has described as a "tribunal within a tribunal" during the past 12 months. Today the results of this private, multimillion euro inquiry are expected to be outlined.

If the tribunal acts according to form, it will outline what has been discovered and then proceed to hear evidence on the key issues.

The opening statement, as it is called, may last for two days, and the taking of evidence could last for many months.

The licence competition was run by civil servants from the Department of Finance and the Department of Transport, Energy and Communications, using consultants from Andersen Consulting of Copenhagen.

Mr Lowry was the minister overseeing the process and he was advised by his civil servants to be careful about meeting representatives of the groups bidding for the licence.

Mr Tony Boyle, a leading figure in the Persona consortium, which bid for the licence, has told the tribunal of meeting Mr Lowry during the competition.

A Mr Tookev of Motorola, which was part of the Persona consortium, also met Mr Lowry during the same period.

Mr Boyle's meeting with Mr Lowry was set up for him by Mr Frank Conroy. Mr Conroy, a long-time fundraiser for Fine Gael, has already given evidence to the tribunal.

He was a friend of the late David Austin, the Smurfit group executive who was close to Mr O'Brien and Mr Lowry.

When Esat Digifone and its 40 per cent shareholder, Telenor, made a €50,000 contribution to Fine Gael in late 1995, the then party leader Mr John Bruton refused to accept the money.

Mr Austin, who had been given the cheque, then sent a cheque for £33,000 (the equivalent of €50,000) to Mr Conroy saying it was a donation for the party. The cheque, which was made out to Mr Conroy, was passed on by him to the party.

Mr Conroy said no mention was made to him at the time of Esat Digifone or Telenor.

Mr Conroy said the Dublin Fine Gael fundraising organisation was very secretive. Members were given a list of people to contact but only the general secretary and the branch chairman knew how much was collected by whom.

"I felt that he, David, might have thought there was a little bit of rivalry in the capital \ branch as to who would collect the most money," Mr Conroy told the tribunal in evidence. "I thought maybe that was one of the reasons he made the cheque payable to me rather than making it payable to Fine Gael."

Mr Lowry has told the tribunal he met Mr O'Brien during a Fine Gael fundraising lunch in June 1995. A number of donations from Mr O'Brien to Fine Gael are being investigated. Mr Lowry was himself a very successful fundraiser and, in part at least, owed his rapid rise in the party to his fundraising successes over the years.

Mr Mark FitzGerald, of Sherry FitzGerald, the son of Dr Garret FitzGerald and leading member of the Fine Gael party, has given a statement to the tribunal that includes details concerning payments by Mr O'Brien to the party.

How any of this could be said to taint the licence issued to Esat Digifone is not clear. However, Fine Gael will surely be unhappy about its fundraising practices being examined in public in Dublin Castle.