No plan to oust Ahern, FF insists

FIANNA FÁIL last night moved to deny claims of a prospective leadership heave against Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.

Party members close to Foreign Affairs Minister Brian Cowen reportedly held a secret meeting in Dublin yesterday to discuss a strategy to remove Mr Ahern as party leader. But the reports on TV3 News were rejected out of hand by a Fianna Fáil spokesman.

“It just didn’t happen. There is no substance to the report and there is nothing to respond to,” a party spokesman said.

Denying suggestions that such a meeting could perhaps have been held under the guise of a Nice campaign conference, the spokesman said that all meetings in relation to the referendum were held in the party’s press and campaign centre.

The continued speculation over Mr Ahern’s future arose as the fallout from the Flood Tribunal report continued to overshadow the Nice Treaty campaign.

Last night, the Taoiseach’s spokesperson said there was no substance to rumours or innuendo that Ray Burke ‘has something’ on Mr Ahern, which led to his Cabinet appointment in 1997.

Earlier yesterday, Mr Cowen denied that members of the current Cabinet had received payments.

“Speculation on all these issues are without foundation,” he said.

But the Tánaiste appeared to differ from the Taoiseach in her account of the chain of events leading up to the appointment of Mr Burke as Foreign Affairs Minister.

Speaking for the first time about the Flood revelations, Ms Harney said there were rumours and allegations about Mr Burke at the time and she raised these issues with the Taoiseach.

“I asked the Taoiseach to investigate those rumours and allegations when he informed me he wanted to appoint Ray Burke to the Cabinet. He carried out an investigation and he gave me assurances. I accepted those assurances at the time,” she said.

It was now clear Mr Burke should not have been appointed as minister, Ms Harney said. She also said she hoped those accused of corrupt acts by the Flood Tribunal report would face the full rigours of the law.

Pressure is mounting on the Taoiseach to explain exactly what investigations were undertaken into Mr Burke’s affairs prior to his Cabinet appointment.

Labour leader Ruairi Quinn yesterday demanded a full statement in the Dáil on the circumstances surrounding the appointment and today Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny will also seek an explanation.

But the Taoiseach’s spokesperson said Mr Ahern feels he has fully cooperated with the Flood Tribunal and will not comment any further on the matter.