Taoiseach handed boost ahead of Dáil high noon

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern will face the long-awaited Dáil showdown over his Mahon Tribunal testimony in bullish form today after a dramatic 24 hours in which a couple of key events went his way.

Mr Ahern won an early concession in his High Court action against the tribunal when lawyers for the planning probe said they no longer wished to question him about statements he made in the Dáil about his financial affairs.

Mr Ahern had launched the legal action, which began yesterday, on three grounds — one of which was that the tribunal had no entitlement to question him about his Dáil statements, which enjoy constitutional protection.

In a second boost for Mr Ahern, Fine Gael pulled back from tabling a second motion of no confidence in the Taoiseach.

Instead, party leader Enda Kenny will grill Mr Ahern about the conflict between his tribunal testimony and that of his former secretary, Gráinne Carruth.

It is understood the party will also demand Mr Ahern give a full clarifying statement to the Dáil to explain the source of mystery lodgments to his accounts.

Mr Ahern has insisted a number of lodgments to one of his accounts in 1994 were the proceeds of his salary cheques. But Ms Carruth accepted at the tribunal that the monies in question were originally sterling sums.

Giving the official line, a FG spokesman said the party was ruling no option out if the Taoiseach failed to give satisfactory answers. But a frontbench source said the party was unlikely to bring forward the no-confidence motion today, and would instead “focus on trying to get the truth” from Mr Ahern.

Labour leader Eamon Gilmore will also question Mr Ahern about the matter as the Dáil resumes following its Easter recess. But Mr Gilmore said the only statement he was interested in seeing today “is one from Mr Ahern announcing the date of his departure”.

But the reluctance of senior Fianna Fáil ministers to move against the Taoiseach — even if they refuse to express their belief in his tribunal evidence — means Mr Ahern is still comfortable in his position ahead of today’s Dáil showdown.