Taoiseach mounts further defence of Michael McDowell

The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, has mounted a further defence of Justice Minister Michael McDowell over his controversial remarks about Frank Connolly.

Mr McDowell has been widely criticised for using his Dáil privilege to claim the journalist and anti-corruption campaigner travelled to Colombia on a false passport as part of an IRA mission to train local rebels in the use of explosives.

He has also admitted that he personally leaked details of the passport application to a national newspaper.

Mr Connolly has denied the claim and has accused the minister of trying to destroy his career and undermine the Centre for Public Inquiry, of which he is executive director.

Mr McDowell, however, has defended his actions, claiming he is entitled to abandon the principle of 'innocent before proven guilty' when there is a threat to the security of the State.

In the Dáil this morning, Sinn Féin TD Caoimhghin O'Caolain demanded that the Taoiseach spell out what threat Mr Connolly poses to the State.

Mr Ahern refused to do so, but claimed Mr Connolly could seek to vindicate his name through the courts if he wished.

Speaking during his final Leaders’ Questions slot in 2005, Mr Ahern today said he didn’t want to end the year in the same acrimonious way as he began the first last January when he spoke about the Northern Bank robbery.

He added: “Deputy O Caolain doesn’t believe that there was a bogus passport application form, that it didn’t exist, and that Colombia never happened and all of the difficulties out of that.

“I played my role in trying to assist the release of Irish people in Colombia. I did perhaps more than my fair share when I went to speak to the president of Colombia and senior officials.

“But I didn’t make up the form. I didn’t place the form in the Department of Foreign Affairs. Neither did Minister McDowell. The issue is that somebody had a bogus document.

“And if somebody feels that they are aggrieved and maligned by what is said inside the House or outside the House, there is a way through the court that they can vindicate their name.

“Let us not con ourselves that this wasn’t a serious issue.”