Dáil Report: Taoiseach Bertie Ahern paid the "full market price" for the Drumcondra house he bought from businessman Michael Wall, who was in the hotel where the controversial 1994 Manchester function took place, but "didn't eat the dinner".
Mr Ahern told the Dáil he would rather have the Public Accounts Committee or the Comptroller and Auditor General examine the issue because "it seems as if everything I gave in [ to the tribunal] is out".
The Taoiseach confirmed that he bought his home from Mr Wall originally from Cong, Co Mayo, and living in Manchester, who runs a coach company. Mr Ahern paid full market price for the house.
He also said Mr Wall did not contribute to the £8,000 in sterling he received at the Manchester dinner, that he met him in the hotel bar and that Mr Wall was there in his professional capacity, driving a minibus.
Mr Ahern said: "Did I tell the Progressive Democrats whether I was dealing with the tribunal on these issues? Yes I did.
"Did I tell the Progressive Democrats that I got loans from friends, yes I did. Did I inform them about Michael Wall? No I did not.
"That is the truthful position.
"I didn't tell the present Tánaiste about Michael Wall and I didn't see what . . . he didn't want to know that either, who I bought my house from."
Mr Ahern said he did not put Mr Wall's name into the public domain "because he told me he wasn't one of the 25 people, didn't contribute, didn't eat any dinner there that night, but he confirmed that he was in the hotel in a working capacity". He added that "he did meet me in the bar and he did speak to people in the bar afterwards".
The businessman had reportedly told a TG4 reporter that he attended the function in Manchester where Mr Ahern accepted the £8,000.
Mr Ahern took the Order of Business yesterday to answer reports and Opposition questions that he had not fully explained his connection to Mr Wall.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny asked if there was a specific reason Mr Ahern did not put Mr Wall's name into the public domain.
Labour's deputy leader Liz McManus said they were promised full accountability by the Taoiseach and the PDs, "and we've received neither.
"Instead we've had the truth dripping slow day by day because the media is giving it to us." She said it was clear that a "few phone calls" would produce the names of the 25 people at the function.
Mr Ahern said, however, that people "just cannot pin themselves down as to whether they were there that night".
He pointed out that he would have a good idea of another seven or eight but would need to try to find them individually.
Mr Ahern said: "I can piece together individuals in Manchester whom I met at various times, but who was at one function as opposed to another, I just can't do that."
Earlier, he said he rented the house in Beresford Avenue from Mr Wall for about two years, that he paid full market rent and he subsequently bought the house in October 1997 after he became Taoiseach.
"Mr Wall would have had a gain of about 30 per cent in a period of about 2½ years and I paid full market value.
"I funded it with an Irish Permanent Building Society loan and I paid for the stamp duty and all the relevant taxes from my own current account."
He added that "the deposit I paid wasn't a large deposit and I paid it from my building society deposit book".
Referring to other allegations Mr Ahern said one allegations made was that he had a dormant account with €30,000 in it.
"In the 1970s I wanted to cash a cheque but the Bank of Ireland in Clonliffe Road would not cash it as I did not have an account. So I opened an account which I never closed and I believe it contains €20 or £20."
