Mr Ray Burke swung open the door of his home in Drumcondra, north Dublin yesterday full of his trademark bonhomie.
"Hello, Mr Tim O'Brien," he said in response to the explanation of who was calling, holding the door wide. For a milli-second we thought we were going to be invited in. But it was not to be.
"Thank you. I have no comment to make, thank you. Thank you very much," he said with exaggerated politeness.
It was turning into the friendliest chucking out we had ever received.
On the strength of it, we risked another question: would he be prepared to make a statement in the future?
"No, no statement now on the advice of my lawyer, thank you. Thank you very much," he said with the air of one who clearly felt affronted to be door-stepped in such a fashion.
But perhaps he could indicate, as he hinted on the lunchtime news, when in the future he might be prepared to make a statement? "You would of course be the first to know." he beamed as his arm brought the door forward. "Thank you, thank you for calling, thank you," he said with the finality that indicated he felt the badgering in his own home had gone beyond anything that might be considered good manners.
Listening to a final "thank you for calling", this reporter realised he had backed half way out between the 00 registered BMW and the 00 registered VW - it was after all a thoroughly polite neighbourhood. "We don't ask other people their business around here", a neighbour had commented earlier in the day, before the former minister had arrived home.
But Mr Burke had earlier indicated that he had a story to tell about his business and he looked forward to telling it. He had told RTÉ's lunchtime news somewhat cryptically that "the opportunity to speak in the future will present itself to me, which I look forward to very, very much". He then said he couldn't say anything now on the advice of his lawyer, and with a few more polite thanks he declined to comment further.
Meanwhile, Mr Tom Savage, the former adviser to the then incoming Taoiseach Mr Albert Reynolds, revealed he had threatened to resign as a Government communications strategist if Mr Reynolds appointed Mr Burke to the Cabinet.
The incident occurred when Mr Reynolds had asked for Mr Savage's opinion of a number of names of potential members of the Cabinet.
Mr Savage, a director of PR company Carr Communications, said yesterday he made comments on several of the names.
However, because he had acted for a foreign building company, he was aware of an "unofficial system" of bribery operating at Dublin County Council.
He had also been approached by a businessman who claimed to have been sent a demand for more than £100,000 in bribes for politicians in the Dublin area.
Because, said Mr Savage, Mr Burke's name had cropped up in both instances, he felt he had to take the attitude he did with the Taoiseach.
