Rights trampled, says Larkin's solicitor

Letter: Solicitors for Celia Larkin and her 90-year-old aunt said the two women's rights to privacy had been "trampled on" when the Mahon tribunal decided to discuss publicly details of a £30,000 loan given to them in 1993.

Solicitor Hugh Millar had asked the tribunal not to give the matter "a public airing" because it would cause "great distress" to Ms Larkin's aunt. Counsel for the tribunal Des O'Neill SC read into the record a letter received by the tribunal at 10am yesterday.

The letter, with Ms Larkin's aunt's name and address blacked out, said Ms Larkin's elderly aunt had lived in a house in Dublin for upwards of 70 years with her sister and two other women, one of whom was the owner.

When the owner died her family sought to sell the house or to bring in extra tenants to the house, the letter said. "As the three tenants lived together in the house for upwards of 60 years it caused them great distress."

The tenants did not have the resources to buy the property themselves. They initially asked Ms Larkin's sister to help, but she did not have the funds. They then asked Ms Larkin, but she did not have the funds either.

Ms Larkin discussed the matter with colleagues at work, and the house committee, which looked after St Luke's, offered her a loan of £30,000.

The house was purchased for £40,100 with £10,100 provided by Ms Larkin's two aunts. "The property was bought in Ms Larkin's name," the letter said.

The loan was to be repaid either on the death of all three women or if the trustees of St Luke's called it in. "Mr Ahern has not and never had any interest in this property," the letter said.

The letter argued that the issue was not connected with matters under investigation by the tribunal. "We are putting it in your hands . . . with a view to avoiding a public airing," the letter said.

However, Judge Alan Mahon said they were satisfied that the matter should be addressed. "Because your client appears to have been a beneficiary of a withdrawal from the account [ building trust], that has to be investigated," he said.

© 2008 The Irish Times

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times