PDs meeting to discuss new Ahern revelations

The Progressive Democrats are meeting later to discuss the consequences of the revelations over alleged cash payments to Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.

Mr Ahern has denied any links to a €44,000 sum given to his ex-partner in 1994 but the issue has severely damaged the first week of his party’s general election campaign.

After defending the Taoiseach just days ago, PD leader Michael McDowell today called an emergency party meeting in Dublin to decide whether to pull out of the coalition administration with Fianna Fáil.

Sources close to the PD leadership today described the current situation as “serious”.

Newly-appointed PD Senator and election candidate, Colm O'Gorman would only say: “We will know more later this evening.”

Today’s drama unfolded as Mr Ahern was campaigning in Counties Galway, Clare, Limerick and Tipperary to shore up party support for the May 24 polling day.

Details of Mr Ahern’s financial affairs were publicly revealed in leaked transcripts of interviews he gave to the Mahon Tribunal, which is probing planning corruption.

Mr McDowell is believed to have been made aware in recent days of information which wasn’t supplied to him in briefings by the Taoiseach during a similar controversy last Autumn.

Meanwhile Minister for Communications Noel Dempsey today accused rival Opposition parties of leading a smear campaign against the Taoiseach.

“There has been a fairly concerted effort over the past two or three weeks to put a whole range of stuff from the Tribunals into the public domain.

“There has been a very deliberate attempt by at least one party to smear the Taoiseach in the run-in to the general election.

“We’re going to concentrate on the campaign issues that matter to people,” he told RTE Radio.

He added: “Why are we engaged in this witch-hunt in relation to the personal finances of the Taoiseach or the Taoiseach’s former partner?”

Greens chairman John Gormley said the PDs were limiting their post-election coalition options if they quit the Cabinet.

“If the PDs pull the plug, who exactly are they going to go into government with? Fine Gael, the Labour Party and the Green Party won’t touch those opportunists with a barge pole.”

“Michael McDowell is back to his old trick of pretending to hold the Taoiseach to account.”

Dark clouds began to gather over the coalition yesterday when Mr McDowell announced that he needed to reflect on the current controversies surrounding his government partner.

He told reporters at a party policy launch: “And I’m not going to answer your question directly, yes or no, if you don’t mind, because I do want to reflect on what I have seen and what I have heard.”

Leaders of alternative government parties, Fine Gael and Labour yesterday described the crisis as damaging for the general election and for politics in general.

Mr Ahern was due to be called as a witness at the Mahon Tribunal this month but it postponed hearings when he announced the general election on last Sunday morning.

The first opinion poll of the campaign today showed that the Fine Gael/Labour and Fianna Fáil/PD coalition options each had 39% support from voters.