Taoiseach rejects claims of pre-election splurge

The Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is rejecting weekend claims that the Government will undertake a pre-election splurge in spending public money.

He made his comments in Westport this morning where the Fianna Fáil party is holding its annual work-shop in advance of the Dáil resuming for business in three weeks time.

This morning, Mr Ahern said: “This is just a bit of opposition nonsense, because they've no policies to put forward they make these comments.

“No, we will continue the prudent, sensible management we’ve given this country from a long way back – probably the best for the last 20 years and certainly under my reign for the last ten. We will do nothing to damage the long-term prospects of the country,” he claimed.