Quinn accuses Ahern of telling blatant lies

The Labour Party’s outgoing leader, Ruairi Quinn, has accused the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, of telling blatant lies in order to get his party re-elected to power.

As an example of these lies, Mr Quinn pointed to the pre-election announcement that the Elan pharmaceutical firm planned to create 300 jobs in Macroom, Co Cork.

Mr Ahern and Elan chairman Donal Geaney travelled to the town to make the announcement, but it emerged after the election that the company’s board of directors had not approved the jobs.

The company has since announced that it does not intend to go ahead with the proposals.

“They were lies,” Mr Quinn said. “They were told openly and publicly in a three-seater constituency where Fine Gael expected to win back its second seat, which traditionally it held. There’s no other way you can describe it.”