Majority of people do not believe Ahern

TRUST in Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has tumbled since his tax status sparked fierce political firefights, a poll confirmed yesterday.

Meanwhile, a second snapshot survey in a row showed ratings for Mr Ahern and Fianna Fáil are heading in opposite directions.

A clear majority of people (54%) say they do not believe Mr Ahern’s evidence to the Mahon corruption probe following his appearance before it at Christmas — a climb of 12% since his previous witness evidence in September.

The distrust in the Taoiseach exposed by the poll is in marked contrast to a surge in support for Fianna Fáil, which climbed four points to stand at 36% in the Red C/Sunday Business Post survey.

However, FF was recovering from a particularly low base recorded at the height of the ministerial pay row in November, and the poll also boosted Fine Gael support by one point to 32%.

Worryingly for new Labour leader Eamon Gilmore, the survey confirms the trend registered in another poll last week of a sharp decline in his party’s support, which slipped three points to 10%.

Sinn Féin gained 2% to stand at 9%, while the Greens slipped 2% to drop to 7% as the PDs remained on 2% and Independents declined 2% to 4%.

After Mr Ahern’s Mahon appearance provoked a bitter public row with FG leader Enda Kenny over the Taoiseach’s inability to provide a tax clearance certificate, the poll shows the number of people no longer trusting Mr Ahern to run the country (46%) is higher than those who do (43%).

There has also been a hardening of attitudes to him with 66% now thinking he should resign as Taoiseach, if he is found to have lied to the tribunal, as opposed to 59% who thought that in September.

Mahon will again be centre stage this week when the Dáil finally returns after its long Christmas break on Wednesday.

FG will table a motion expressing confidence in the tribunal as an attempt to expose what it believes are differing attitudes to the inquiry between FF and the Greens. Several FF ministers have attacked the probe for exceeding its remit.

A government counter motion will be hammered out in the next two days and the case for the Government is likely to be led by Green leader John Gormley, as his Environment Department has responsibility for the tribunal.

A Green spokesman expressed the party’s continuing support for the probe.

“Nothing has yet been agreed between the government partners regarding the counter motion. The Green Party has always expressed its confidence in the tribunals, including the Mahon Tribunal, and that has not changed,” he said.

The survey showed that 45% of people would back the Lisbon treaty in a referendum, with 25% opposing.