Surprising poll results for Fianna Fáil

TWO in every three people believe Taoiseach Bertie Ahern was wrong to accept payments from businessmen in Manchester in the 1990s, a new poll has found.

Sixty-six% of respondents in the TNS MRBI poll said it was wrong for Mr Ahern to accept £8,000 from businessmen friends after speaking at a function in the British city while he was Minister for Finance in 1994.

A similar number of respondents — 64% — said the Taoiseach was wrong to accept €50,000 from friends in 1993.