Haughey rushes to give a full account of Lenihan liver op money
by Jim Morahan and Conor Keane
CHARLES HAUGHEY last night rushed to promise a full account of funds he raised for Brian Lenihan’s liver transplant following revelations that £20,000 for the fund went to Celtic Helicopters.
The late Mr Lenihan’s family would not comment on the Moriarty Tribunal’s disclosure but his son, Deputy Conor Lenihan, congratulated the Tribunal and said they were doing an excellent job. “I am happy to let it get on with it’s work.”
Mr Haughey, in a statement issued on his behalf, claimed responsibility for initiating and spearheading the fund raising for Mr Lenihan’s life saving operation in the Mayo Clinic in the US.
However, in the book about the operation written by Mr Lenihan’s wife, Ann, she said a group of friends made a contribution that made it possible for them to go to the Mayo Clinic. She added that Mr Haughey was very supportive and told her if she needed anything to just give her a ring. “I found this very reassuring,” she said.
The operation cost about £200,000 and part of it was met by the VHI. One of the principal people behind the fund raising was the late Peter Hanley, former chairman of Aer Rianta and a personal friend of the Lenihans.
The Tribunal heard yesterday that donations, large and small, flowed into the fund supervised by Mr Haughey but a £20,000 building society cheque ö earmarked for the seriously ill former Tánaiste ö went instead into the account of Celtic Helicopters operated by Ciaran Haughey.
When the late Mr Lenihan became seriously ill in 1989, Mr Haughey set up an account for his treatment in AIB Baggot St ö the same branch as for Mr Haughey’s party leader’s account.
Former Fianna Fáil administrator Eileen Foy said Mr Haughey gave her donations for lodgement to the Lenihan fund. She noted details of invoices in ledgers and cheque stubs in filing cabinets. But these had gone missing after Mr Haughey’s replacement as FF leader in 1992.
A preliminary statement issued on behalf of Mr Haughey last night said: “It was Charles Haughey as leader of Fianna Fáil who initiated and spearheaded the humanitarian project of raising a fund which would enable Brian Lenihan’s wife and family to take him to the Mayo Clinic in the United States for a life saving liver transplant operation.
“With the help of a group of loyal friends and supporters, this was achieved and the operation was successful in saving Brian’s life. The funds raised were properly applied. A full statement on the utilisation of the fund subscribed will be made later when we have access to the records.
© The Examiner, 1999