Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
IT’S SEPTEMBER 1997 and Minister for Foreign Affairs Ray Burke is embroiled in controversy over allegations that he received tens of thousands of pounds in donations in return for planning favours in the 1980s.
It’s just four months since he has been appointed to the prestigious ministerial portfolio after Fianna Fáil’s return to power under Bertie Ahern when Burke is forced to make a personal statement to the Dáil.
He opens by saying he has come to the chamber to “reassure the public and particularly my constituents that I have done nothing wrong” before stating he received an unsolicited political contribution of IRL£30,000 in cash in two sealed envelopes in 1989.
There was nothing “illegal, unethical or improper” in the transaction, Burke told the Dáil as the opposition looked distinctly unimpressed.
“Did the minister not have any sense of something remotely odd about two gentlemen arriving with £30,000 in cash?” asked Labour leader Dick Spring.
On foot of the claims the Ahern government would establish a tribunal into certain planning matters, later known as the Mahon Tribunal, which issued its damning final report 14 years later in March 2012.
Burke went to jail for five months in 2005 after pleading guilty to making false tax returns.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
The entire political history of this state since independence is one of corruption, nepotism, ineptitude and failure.
No other country would spend millions upon millions setting up a private enterprise like Irish water for a billionaire crony or millions upon millions on the building of a hospital that hasn’t even started.
Such a failure of a country.
People have very short memories. It’s all too easy to bash these “gombeen” politicians but people forget where we’d be without them.
Not 200 billion in debt perhaps
Grow up.
Another chancer
The chanciest chancer who ever chanced.
Naw that’s B Ahearn!
Despicable individual. If only half the truth were known.
Burke was a thieven git should have got 20 years.
How many pensions is he drawing down now????
And when Enda steps up to take his 100k lump sum and 30k a year for 4 years teaching 40 years ago; at least such pensions in bad need of reform are being protected.
The people elect these multi pensioned inept free loading politicians generation after generation …and lets be honest they’ll keep electing them ….
Bareing his soul ? Since when did he have one. Probably sold it for the contents of a brown envelope.
he was corrupt to the end lying even to the very people that elected him and he said that he did nothing wrong he he he he what a laugh if we the people were not paying pensions to him.. the video tells of the ff way of cover ups and shatter was no different.. rotten to the core
when business was done with brown envelopes, this still is the most corrupt country in the world.
If you ead the last paragraph it states, it took 14 yrs to get to the bottom of the mahon tribunal. Why? So they could find ways of letting everyone off scott free. Remind me, has anyone spent anytime in prison due to these tribunals….NOPE
Illegal unethical and improper is that fvckers middle name.
This is the guy who went into a room with no witnesses and gave away irelands offshore gas/oil.
This JAILBIRD is still enjoying how many pensions ? off the citizens of this so called Republic.
Corrupt indeed but In the Mickey Mouse league of chancers compared with retired bankers with million euro gold plated pensions served up by us taxpayers – after proving themselves to be absolutely sh!te bankers, but sh!te bankers with attitude, who know how to talk down & ignore theittle
Oops – from above ignore us little peasant people !
What has that to do with Ray Burke?
Good to remember Ray Burke- bad to forget the bigger heist – let us not forget this outrage (tho seems to have happened already) – no accountability for bankers, this may have its roots in our political weaknesses/corruption.
Jesus, that was some rogues gallery of a front bench, Ahern, Burke, Harney, O’ Donoghue, O’Dea, every one of them a parasite. Have we learned anything in almost 20 years, have we fcuk, their equivalent is sitting on that very bench today.
You might not agree with her politics but I wouldn’t describe Mary Harney as a “parasite”. She wasn’t in politics for personal gain and I’ve never seen any suggestion that she did anything corrupt.
…just off the top of my head:
The government jet junket to Florida for herself, her husband and Fás friends.
The expensive hairdressing bill picked up by Fás friends (i.e. the taxpayer).
No point in giving any further examples – is there?
1997 – the Lowry era?
The €2.15 per day that he earned for his job in prison is too good for this man! Takes home a cool €100,000 a year in pensions. Ridiculous.
“My personal integrity”? lol
Still on a huge pension despite being looked up.
Anne Doyle voice heard it there for the first time in ages I miss her on the 6 news
So Hugh O’Connell – Who cares at this stage – Whats the relevance of your article – IS THIS A GAP FILLER ????
Raymond Burke would you bare your soul to the stardust families and tell us why Patrick Butterly deceased went to meet George Redmond to get assured of planning permission for the Stardust venue that two years later cooked alive 48 young people.
Raymond could your bare your soul to the families as to why you set up a tribunal of inquiry that found arson was the cause, and you told the media ” you cannot legislate against arson” wasn’t it the convenient finding to blame the dead kids get the planning authority off and reward the mass murderer for his arcing electrics and non planning compliant purpose built store room.
Raymond would you bare your soul to the stardust families and tell them why you pulled the fire brigade log book was it to remove the roof fire calls at an earlier time than the arson public record.
Raymond would you tell the families why Justice Ronan Keana attended a big dinner that your department paid. At this dinner the arson ideology was injected into the callus corrupt tribunal that Keane chaired.
Raymond would you explain how much were you personally were involved with this cover up.
I hope you know at some time karma gets you.
Hugh, day off today? That was 17 years ago. How about news, not history.!!
Burke and Bertie, two slimey crooks, should have got the firing squad !
DAW
What a fu*ker!!!!
have your say