Payments row is history, insists McDowell

A WEEK after turning inquisitor-in-chief, Tánaiste and PD leader Michael McDowell yesterday insisted the payments controversy surrounding Taoiseach Bertie Ahern was at an end.

Last Sunday, Mr McDowell had warned that, in the absence of a comprehensive statement explaining his affairs, Mr Ahern could not credibly seek re-election as Taoiseach.

But yesterday, Mr McDowell declared himself satisfied with Mr Ahern’s explanation, and said the PDs could continue to do business with Fianna Fáil.

“There is no obstacle to the Progressive Democrats doing the business with Fianna Fáil and doing the business with Bertie Ahern. And I’m very, very glad that this matter is now off the agenda,” he said.

Asked if he trusted Mr Ahern, the Tánaiste said: “I do trust him, and the reason I trust him is that I asked him to be accountable, I asked him to deal with the issues, I asked him to deal with a number of issues that were raised specifically, and he’s done it.”

However, Labour leader Pat Rabbitte, speaking at a party event in Dublin, said questions remained.

“Mr Ahern assured Dáil Eireann that there were no questions of taxation arising. He now seems to be saying that there are indeed tax issues,” he said.

But when questions about Mr Ahern’s finances continued, Mr Rabbitte expressed regret that questions over Mr Ahern’s finances were overshadowing the election campaign.

“I can understand why people want to pursue it because standards in public office are important. But it is regrettable that the Taoiseach’s private, unorthodox financial affairs are dominating the campaign so far to the exclusion of the debate that we ought to be having,” he said.

“As far as I’m concerned, the Taoiseach’s latest contortions on his financial affairs are best dealt with by removing him from office, and what I’m committed to doing is ensuring that there are sufficient Labour Party seats to help in the process of electing an alternative government of change.”

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny declined to discuss the particulars of Mr Ahern’s statement.

“I am fighting this election on the issues before the people. I’ve far greater interest in the future of the country than in his past. I said before that if he wanted to make a statement, that was his right. The people are going to judge all of this on May 24,” he said.

Green Party leader Trevor Sargent said: “This statement is primarily to elicit sympathy, and Bertie Ahern may succeed in that, given the experience in the past. But it’s not sympathy that we need to be engendering, it’s the truth.”

Jounralist Vincent Browne, who interrogated Mr Ahern on his finances almost a fortnight ago, said the issues had been addressed satisfactorily.

“The few questions remain here and there but I think they are detail rather than substantive questions. I think the statement is impressive both in its content and in its detail,” he told TV3’s The Political Party.

“I think he has put at rest several of the issues arising from his personal finances.”