It was unbelievable that former Fianna Fail financial adviser Mr Sean Fleming TD had not discussed with the Taoiseach last year his knowledge about a political donation to Mr Ray Burke when he knew there was much talk about a scandal which was about to unfold, Ms Kathleen O'Meara (Lab) said.
Mr Fleming's statement to the Dail on Wednesday night last raised more questions than it answered, Ms O'Meara said in the debate on a motion to broaden the terms of the Flood tribunal.
"It seems to me that the trench he has started to dig, presumably to protect himself and in an attempt to blame former Deputy Haughey, who is now the whipping boy for all the wrong things that happened in Fianna Fail in the past - in his attempt to do that, to lay responsibility, in effect, for the payment to Deputy Ray Burke, he has started to dig a trench which, I wonder, ultimately, if it won't lead to the current Taoiseach."
Mr Fleming had spoken of learning in 1989 that Fitzwilton was making a large contribution through Mr Burke and of telling his then party leader, Mr Charles Haughey, of his belief that the party's fund-raising committee had been left short. Mr Haughey had, according to Mr Fleming, indicated that the matter should be left with him. Mr Fleming's action in approaching Mr Haughey showed this was a matter of consternation in the party.
Last year, when the country was awash with rumours about payments to Mr Burke, Mr Fleming had phoned Mr Burke, yet he claimed he had not discussed the matter with the Taoiseach.
Most extraordinarily, he had talked about a long-standing practice and an unwritten rule in Fianna Fail that party fund-raisers did not discuss the details of donations with the party leader or with other senior members.
That had not stopped him from raising such an issue with Mr Haughey nine years ago. "I simply find it unbelievable that he did not discuss the matter with the then Taoiseach and his own party leader. He knew, because he had rung up Ray Burke, how urgent and important the issue was. He knew the whole country was talking about a major scandal that was about to unfold."
The motion was agreed.