Taoiseach 'not averse' to making statement
The Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said he is willing to make a statement on his financial affairs, as called for today by PD leader Michael McDowell.
Mr Ahern said: “If I can pull all of the stuff together, I am not averse to doing that.”
He said he would meet Mr McDowell in Belfast on Tuesday at the inauguration of Northern Ireland power-sharing.
Speaking outside his St Luke’s constituency office in north Dublin, he added: “The lifetime of this Government is nearly over anyway so we just have to keep working. It has been a very good Government and we have worked very hard.”
Mr McDowell said he believed it was essential that the Taoiseach made a comprehensive and credible public statement, addressing all the new information now in the public domain.
“On Thursday and Friday last, information came to me from a number of sources which suggested strongly that the information given to me last Autumn was very partial, incomplete and at best selective,” he said.
Labour leader Pat Rabbitte described the latest events surrounding the Fianna Fáil/PD coalition over the past 24 hours as “bizarre”.
Accusing Mr McDowell of pulling another pre-election stunt, he said: "The spectacular zig-zagging by the Progressive Democrats over the past 48 hours is hardly a surprise."
Greens leader Trevor Sargent said Mr McDowell’s ’Grand Old Duke of York’ tactic was clearly a cynical election ploy and added that serious questions hang over the Tánaiste's leadership “given the consistent weakness he has displayed on this issue since last autumn”.
He called on Mr McDowell to clarify his position and questioned whether the PD leader could ever work with Mr Ahern again, saying the Taoiseach’s “deceptions” have made it very difficult for any party to do business with him.
“Politically, he is a dead man walking”, Mr Sargent said.
At a press conference earlier today, the Progressive Democrats called on the Taoiseach to clarify controversies surrounding his financial affairs during the 1990s.
Stopping short of quitting the Cabinet, PD leader Michael McDowell told the press conference in Dublin that no useful purpose would be served by resigning during a general election campaign.
“Failure by the Taoiseach to account in a comprehensive and credible way to the Irish people for these matters would make it impossible for him to seek the endorsement of the Dáil for a further term as Taoiseach when the new Dáil meets,” he said.
Mr McDowell, only flanked by party general secretary John Higgins, said: “The overwhelming view of my parliamentary colleagues is that the duty of accountability falls on the Taoiseach, that the Progressive Democrats should insist on such accountability, and that the Progressive Democrats office holders should continue to discharge their functions as envisaged by the Constitution and in fulfilment of our commitment to the Irish people five years ago.”
The party holds the Justice and Health portfolios through Michael McDowell and Mary Harney in the coalition with Fianna Fáil. Party president Tom Parlon and colleague Tim O’Malley also have junior ministry positions in the coalition.
“No useful purpose would be served by reducing the size of the government to 13 members – all drawn from one party – and handing over the critical portfolios of Health and Justice to caretaker ministers who, in fairness, would be very unfamiliar with the issues,” said Mr McDowell.
He added: “Given that we have now just 18 days to polling, to give up on these people and their concerns – so that we could make a political point by resigning would be a misguided gesture.”
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