Ahern rallies FF as revolt talks denied

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern issued a rallying call to Fianna Fáil members last night as several Cork TDs denied there was a conspiracy to overthrow him as party leader.

Former Junior Agriculture Minister Ned O'Keeffe yesterday denied that he had attended a secret meeting in Cork aimed at undermining the Taoiseach.

Health Minister Micheál Martin also insisted he did not attend any such meeting.

They were responding to a weekend report that claimed Mr O'Keeffe had attended a secret meeting in Cork aimed at overthrowing Mr Ahern as party leader.

Fianna Fáil TD Noel O'Flynn said the report was pure fiction.

"This story reads like a Jeffrey Archer novel pure fiction. There is no heave to topple the Taoiseach," Mr O'Flynn said.

But Mr Ahern told Fianna Fáil party members in Dublin last night that his Government would hold its nerve in office and continue to manage the economy responsibly.

"It is difficult times that test the mettle of real leadership in the short term, there will be no easy solutions and quick fixes," the Taoiseach said.

In a morale boosting speech, Mr Ahern said the Government was going into this Budget with its head held high despite a recent drop in opinion poll ratings.

"Our boom will not be followed by bust, and the job of our party in Government is to ensure that prosperity is permanent," he said.

Mr Ahern also said that he believed reform of the public sector to be the key to future economic success.

Meanwhile, Mr O'Keeffe rubbished a weekend report that he had attended a secret meeting in Cork with senior Fianna Fáil figures from the Tipperary North constituency of Defence Minister Michael Smith.

"I am not aware of any such meeting, nor did I attend any meeting. I'm a loyal and committed supporter of the Taoiseach," said Mr O'Keeffe.

He added that he fully supported the Hanly Report on medical manpower.

Mr Martin also insisted that he attended no such secret meeting.

"The only Fianna Fáil meeting held in Cork in that time dealt with the organisation of the Munster European and local elections, and the minister was not at that meeting," Mr Martin's spokeswoman said.

Government deputy chief whip Billy Kelleher said it was purely procedural.

"We were just interviewing Munster candidates for the local elections, and it is wildly speculative and utter nonsense to suggest anything else," Mr Kelleher said.