I need more time, Curtin tells Ahern

JUDGE Brian Curtin wants more time to explain his alleged accessing and downloading of child pornography.

The Cabinet is expected to grant the judge's plea for more time contained in a response to the Government's request for an explanation received only yesterday at its meeting in Farmleigh House this morning.

Exactly a week ago, the Government wrote to the Circuit Court judge seeking an urgent response to the matters raised against him by the prosecution in his collapsed court case.

Last night, a Government spokesperson said correspondence was received yesterday on behalf of the judge and refused to go into any of the details of its contents.

But it is understood that the correspondence was not a definitive response and asked the Government for more time to prepare his reply. Until yesterday, it was not even clear if Judge Curtin would respond to the request sent by the secretary to the Government, Department of An Taoiseach secretary general Dermot McCarthy.

The Cabinet will consider the judge's request but the Government still insists that nothing has been ruled out and impeachment is still an option, along with the appointment of a panel of judges to examine the unprecedented case.

Last week, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern insisted that the judge will not get any payoff to resign from his €130,000-a-year job, or receive any compensation if he is impeached.

The judge's chances of remaining on the bench rest on his satisfying the Government of no wrongdoing on his part.

Beverly Flynn, however, is not expected to receive any reprieve today from Mr Ahern as he will propose to Fianna Fáil TDs and senators that the party whip be removed from the Mayo TD.

The FF parliamentary party meeting, to be held this evening in Leinster House, will debate

Ms Flynn's future in the party following the rejection of her libel action appeal by the Supreme Court last week.

The daughter of former FF minister Padraig Flynn will argue her case to the meeting, but last night party sources described the outcome as an "inevitability".

On Friday night, the FF Árd Comhairle will be asked to expel Ms Flynn from the party entirely and it is not yet clear if Mr Ahern will make it back in time for that meeting, as he embarks on a three-day tour of six EU capitals tomorrow morning.

Following the euphoria of the weekend's EU enlargement ceremony, Mr Ahern will be confronted by a number of controversial domestic issues today.

In the Dáil this afternoon, he will face harsh questions on the scuppering of electronic voting and the Government's failure to end hospital waiting lists as promised before the last general election.

Opposition parties have pointed out that the €52 million bill for the postponed e-voting system could have covered the cost of opening up €400 million worth of hospital facilities lying idle.