An Opposition TD who met the then minister for justice John O'Donoghue in June 2000 after receiving a document making anonymous allegations of high- level corruption in An Garda Síochána was more concerned with having the claims investigated than "making it a media issue", a senior civil servant told the Morris tribunal.
Fine Gael justice spokesman Jim Higgins brought the allegations to the attention of the minister at a meeting on June 27th, 2000, along with Labour party spokesman Brendan Howlin, Oonagh McPhillips told the inquiry.
Ms McPhillips, who acted as private secretary to the minister at the time, took notes during the meeting between the three TDs, held in Mr O'Donoghue's Dáil office.
"Deputy Higgins seemed to be making the point that he wasn't interested in making it a media issue, he was interested in getting to the truth of the matter," Ms McPhillips said.
She said Mr Higgins had told the minister he was approached by journalist Frank Connolly about the allegations, which he [ Higgins] received in a fax from Frank McBrearty snr on the evening of June 25th, 2000.
Ms McPhillips said the source of the information "wasn't a huge issue at the time, as it subsequently became". She said the two TDs "expressed trust in their sources".
"They had no proof of the allegations contained but they had no reason to suspect a malicious motive on the part of their sources."
Mr Higgins told the minister his source would co-operate with a Garda investigation, but not with the media.
Garda and tribunal investigations have found no evidence to support any of the anonymous allegations made to the two TDs.
Later Mr McBrearty snr said he had not told Ken Smyth to rewrite a fax he sent him, and destroy the original.
"I can assure you chairman that I never gave any orders to any lawyers to destroy vital documents," he told Mr Justice Frederick Morris.
Later Mr McBrearty said he could not recall if he sent a copy of the allegations, which he says arrived anonymously in the post, to a journalist.
Tribunal barrister Anthony Barr SC asked Mr McBrearty if he had any objection if they asked Mr Connolly if he received the information.
"I have no objection if you want to call Frank Connolly here and if he wants to hand it over, that's his prerogative," Mr McBrearty said.