Taoiseach dismisses claims of secret deal

BERTIE AHERN last night dismissed claims he has a secret deal with the Greens to quit as Taoiseach if the Mahon corruption probe finds he took “bribes”.

The row over Mr Ahern’s evidence to the inquiry again dominated the Dáil as the Taoiseach threatened he could accuse Fine Gael of financial wrongdoing if he chose to.

The heated exchanges with Enda Kenny erupted as the Fine Gael leader demanded to know if reports of a coalition “exit pact” with the Greens were true.

The Taoiseach hit back that Mr Kenny was the puppet of his spin doctor and deliberately misleading the public over Mr Ahern’s financial affairs.

The Fine Gael leader demanded to know if the Taoiseach had agreed with the Greens to resign if “the tribunal found he had taken bribes — which claim I do not make against him — had not co-operated with the tribunal or that his evidence was unreliable?”.

The Taoiseach dismissed the allegation and launched a stinging counter attack on the opposition leader.

“Deputy Kenny knows there is no written agreement.

“I could mention a number of things regarding Deputy Kenny’s party but I will not do so because I have never done so in 30 years of political life.

“At one time in a 30-year political life I received money from two sets of very close friends and paid the money back in full and with interest.

“One of Deputy Kenny’s spin doctors persists in referring to €300,000.

“The amount in question was €48,000 and I paid back slightly less than €99,000,” the Taoiseach said as the two leaders again clashed over lodgments into Mr Ahern’s accounts in 1993-1994.

Mr Kenny said he found the Taoiseach’s attitude “distressing”.

“The Taoiseach was in receipt of serious cash donations. He moved as much as €300,000, in today’s value, in four major lodgments which he has been unable to explain.

“The Taoiseach does not apply the same standards to himself as he applies to others.”

Mr Kenny said if it was wrong for Charles Haughey to receive money it was also wrong for the Taoiseach to do so.

“Why does the Taoiseach not apply the same standards to himself as to Charles Haughey?” he asked.

Mr Ahern said he would not discuss the business of people “who are in the grave”.

He denied the cash lodgments he received while finance minister in the mid-1990s had been given in exchange for favours.

“I got money from close friends. They were not business people. They were not looking for anything from me. I paid them back with the relevant interest,” he said.

Labour leader Eamon Gilmore also attacked Mr Ahern’s attitude to public life: “We should not have to legislate for standards.

“We should have them,” he said.