The Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has said there is no question of him giving back severance payments of €40,000 he received when he left Government in 1997.
Earlier, the Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin bowed to pressure and declared he wouldn't take his €90,000 payment if he is re-elected to the Dáil.
Mr Kenny said he took his payments in "different times" and he felt Mr Martin wasn't being clear that such payments should be ended once and for all.