Ahern defends his lack of bank account after separation

The Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has defended the fact that he didn't have a bank account in the late 1980s, and early 1990s.

Mr Ahern told the Mahon Tribunal that he didn't consider it unusual to operate in cash in the years after his martial separation.

He is in the witness box at the Mahon Tribunal today facing questions about his personal finances.

Under questioning from Counsel for the Tribunal Mr Ahern has defended his lack of a bank account in the late 1980s, and early 1990s, during which time he was Minister for Labour and Minister for Finance.

He's told the Tribunal: "I was separated, the accounts were in my wife's name, I had cheques and I cashed them… I can't convince you why I did it. I thought it was a good idea…. I didn't know whether I would go back home or whatever, I’d no ulterior motive."

He said: "That's what I wanted to do…there's nothing in the law or constitution about it… I decided to cash my cheques full stop…some people decide to die their hair yellow."

Earlier Mr Ahern told the Tribunal that in the early 1990s the trustees of St Lukes gave him a letting agreement for a number of years on the apartment for which he paid a nominal rent.