Former taoiseach Charles Haughey was seriously ill in hospital last night after a significant deterioration in his medical condition in recent days.
Mr Haughey (80), who has been suffering from prostate cancer for several years, was brought to the Mater Private hospital this week after becoming significantly weaker last weekend. It is not known what treatment he is receiving, but friends are concerned about his condition.
Mr Haughey's illness prevented him from giving evidence about his finances to the Moriarty tribunal over the last few years. His financial affairs were in the news again last week after the tribunal heard evidence of a €5 million tax settlement he made to the Revenue Commissioners in 2003 in relation to gifts of large sums of money he received from Ben Dunne and others. At the time this was the largest tax settlement made by an individual taxpayer.
The Moriarty tribunal agreed in 2001 that Mr Haughey should no longer be required to give evidence due to illness. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1995, and has been hospitalised on a number of occasions.