Mahon not paralysing authority, says Ahern

BERTIE AHERN last night angrily denied his premiership was becoming paralysed due to the amount of time he is being forced to devote to the Mahon corruption probe.

Leader’s Question’s descended into ugly scenes as the Taoiseach bitterly clashed with Labour leader Eamon Gilmore over the latest sleaze allegations to hit Mr Ahern.

“Is Deputy Gilmore deaf as well as stupid?” Mr Ahern demanded as he and the Labour leader engaged in tense exchanges across the chamber.

Mr Gilmore insisted the Taoiseach was losing his authority and focus as he was becoming “engulfed” in a series of allegations regarding his tenure as finance minister in the mid-1990s.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny also joined in the attack, ridiculing Mr Ahern’s claim he had thanked NCB stockbrokers boss Pádraic O’Connor for giving the Taoiseach a £5,000 “dig-out” loan in 1993. Mr O’Connor told the Mahon inquiry he thought the money was for Fianna Fáil and not Mr Ahern’s personal use.

Mr Kenny said the Taoiseach was attempting to take the Irish people for fools. “The loan never happened, so the ‘thank you’ cannot have happened.

“The Taoiseach needs to spit it all out, warts and all, so that at least the people have the facts,” he said.

“If this goes on, his credibility as the leader of our country will be torn to shreds. People do not believe him,” said the FG leader.

The Labour leader accused Mr Ahern of only ever giving half-answers as he raised the claim by former An Post chief John Hynes that while finance minister Mr Ahern had given “implicit” approval for the National Lottery to talk with Manchester businessman Norman Turner regarding a controversial casino project in Phoenix Park.

Mr Turner contributed $10,000 via FF chief fundraiser Des Richardson during the period.

“Apparently the promoters gave Fianna Fáil two halves of $10,000, the donation only got halfway to Fianna Fáil. The Taoiseach can now only half-remember what happened and frankly the rest of us do not believe half of it,” said Mr Gilmore.

The Taoiseach strongly defended his probity in the matter, insisting he had acted properly at all times.

“It is unfair if I have to have a tribunal here and another outside,” he told TDs.

“I thanked Mr O’Connor and I accepted the money as a loan from the individual who gave it to me,” he said, referring to how Mr Richardson accepted the “dig-out” money from Mr O’Connor in the form of a false invoice.

Regarding the casino plan, Mr Ahern repeated he had always been against it.

“Having received a report from Department of Finance officials I do not think that anybody including myself did anything improper in meeting various people from various organisations,” he said.