Ahern laughs off FF party dissent

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern yesterday laughed off the flood of dissent within Fianna Fáil as Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy told backbenchers there was no extra money in the Budget for community employment schemes.

Despite Government policies coming under attack on numerous fronts from his party's backbenchers, Mr Ahern was in jovial form all day as he dismissed suggestions the Government was coming apart.

Amid continued unease in Fianna Fáil over the Government's support for EU regulations on stem cell research, and ongoing internal criticism of the failure to reverse cutbacks in Community Employment (CE) schemes, Mr Ahern treated questions from opposition leaders flippantly. Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said that with ministers, junior ministers and FF TDs coming out against Government policies, the public appeared to be witnessing the disintegration of the Coalition. Labour leader Pat Rabbitte asked what exactly was going on in Fianna Fáil and wondered whether the continuous revolts were a challenge against the Taoiseach's leadership, before taking a cut at the Tánaiste.