THE LEVEL of known political donations by Mr Ben Dunne or Dunnes Stores has now reached between £220,000 and £221,000, most of it to Fine Gael.
Fine Gael received £180,000 in three payments between 1987 and 1992.
The Taoiseach has been criticised for releasing this information late at night, but sources close to him said he had to consult both sides of the Dunne family beforehand and that earlier in the day he was taken up with the visit of the Israeli Prime Minister, Question Time and a debate on Northern Ireland in the Dail and negotiations with Dunnes over the Price Waterhouse report.
In a weekend statement the chairman of the Fine Gael parliamentary party, Mr Phil Hogan, said four members had also received a total of £14,000 in the period 1987-96.
The Minister for Health, Mr Noonan, said he received £3,000 which was "used exclusively for election expenses" in his Limerick East campaign in 1992.
"I wish to confirm that I received no request for assistance of any kind, then or since, from Mr Dunne with regard to public matters," Mr Noonan said.
The Minister for Agriculture, Mr Yates, said he received £5,000 from Mr Ben Dunne in 1992 "for my personal election campaign in Co Wexford". He added: "All such voluntary contributions are accepted by me on the basis that they are strictly unconditional."
It is understood the other two donations to Fine Gael referred to in Mr Hogan's statement were £5,000 to Mr Michael Lowry and £1,000 to the Minister for Defence and the Marine, Mr Barrett.
It is understood the £1,000 donation to Mr Barrett was made during the February 1987 general election for election purposes in the Dun Laoghaire constituency.
The Taoiseach also said in a weekend statement: "To the best of my recollection, 14 years ago in late 1982 I received an unsolicited contribution of £1,000 from Mr Ben Dunne", used to defray the expenses of the Fine Gael campaign in Meath.
A Fianna Fail spokesman confirmed that Mr Sean Haughey TD had received between £9,000 and £10,000 for three general and one local election and that Mr Colm Hilliard TD received £1,000. The Labour Party received £15,000 for Mrs Robinson's presidential election campaign.