Attack on Ahern ‘dirty campaign’

THE Taoiseach’s brother yesterday rallied to his defence and accused opposition parties of instigating a targeted dirty-tricks campaign against the Fianna Fáil leader.

Older brother, Noel Ahern also claimed the recent actions of the Tánaiste Michael McDowell represented an attempt to build support for the Progressive Democrats rather than “being necessarily honest, fair or reasonable.”

Mr Ahern, a Dublin West TD and a minister of state, said unfair leaks from the tribunal and “screaming headlines” regarding matters dating 15 years had dominated the election campaign, to date.

He deemed the selective leaking of documents as malicious and specifically designed to damage his brother.

“My mother passed away some years ago. I’d rather she wasn’t around today to listen to some of it,” said a misty-eyed Mr Ahern.

The minister insisted someone in Fine Gael, at a very high level, was behind the leaking of information but conceded he had no evidence to support this claim.

“Most party workers, and most party supporters that you’d meet, would be very suspicious. People don’t know for sure whose hands are behind it but it’s suspected that it’s someone high up in the opposition parties,” he said.

“To me, it seems like there’s a dirty tricks campaign going on and a serious attempt being made to deflect us from talking about what we want to talk about which is the next five years and the progresses and advances we made over the last 10 years.”

Although unaware of any definite date for a public statement from the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern said it should be forthcoming this week.