Opposition attacks contrite Ahern over cash 'gift'
Opposition politicians tonight launched a blistering attack on the Taoseach Bertie Ahern after he apologised for taking £8,000 (€11,800) at a dinner in Manchester in 1994.
Even though he categorically denied soliciting the money, Mr Ahern admitted accepting the cash was an error of judgment.
His apology at a tense session of the Dáil eased lingering doubts about the future of the coalition Government.
But Mr Ahern’s opponents hit out at his behaviour 12 years ago, claiming Irish politics had been tarnished by his actions and the support he received from the Government benches since the scandal broke 12 days ago.
Enda Kenny, leader of the Fine Gael opposition party, said: “The fact that you [Mr Ahern] will not accept that that action was wrong sends out a signal about politics in Ireland, about politicians in Ireland, that is simply incredible.
“The entire Government will not accept that what the Taoiseach did was wrong. It is wrong and you are afraid to admit that it is wrong.”
Mr Kenny likened Mr Ahern to corrupt former Justice Minister Ray Burke who was jailed for tax evasion while Green Party leader Trevor Sargent demanded the Taoiseach resign.
“Does this sound familiar?” Mr Kenny asked, before quoting Mr Burke’s speech to the Dáil in 1997 where he denied receiving payments.
He said: “‘I’m taking this opportunity to state unequivocally that I have done nothing illegal, unethical or improper’.
“They are the words of Deputy Burke in this house on September 10, 1997. Same words, same standards, different application.
“I thought that this country had moved on from that period. I thought we had moved away from the Haughey era of the 80s, but apparently Fianna Fail resurrects the same old standards in the same old way.”
That was followed by a call for Mr Ahern to leave office.
“I give you your choices, Taoiseach: take positive acion to clean up Irish politics. Do the decent thing and resign – or give the electorate the choice between your politics and mine,” Mr Sargent said.
In a robust yet apologetic defence of his behaviour, Mr Ahern told a packed Dáil the payments, made to him at a dinner after he had attended a Manchester United match, were not illegal or non-permissible.
“But I now regret the choices I made in those difficult and dark times,” the Taoiseach said.
“The bewilderment caused to the public about recent revelations have been deeply upsetting to those near and dear to me.
“To them, Ceann Comhairle, to the Irish people, to this House, I offer my apologies.”
It emerged last week that Mr Ahern accepted a €11,800 (£8,000) cash collection in Manchester’s Four Seasons Hotel in 1994.
Last weekend Mr Ahern was forced to pay back loans he received from 12 friends in 1993-94 to help fund the separation from his wife.
“Nobody is infallible or perfect,” he told the Dáil.
“As I survey the events of the last two weeks, I realise that my judgment in accepting help from good and loyal friends and the gift in Manchester (albeit in the context of personal and family circumstances) was an error. It was a misjudgment, although not in breach of any law or code of conduct at the time.”
Mr Ahern’s apology was greeted with rapturous applause from the Government benhes.
But it did not satisfy those on the opposition benches.
Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte backed his opposition partner Mr Kenny, insisting that accepting the gift was wrong and that backbenchers were defending the indefensible.
“Can we do more than highlight the absolute impropriety of a serving Minister for Finance accepting payment for a nixer outside the State?
“Never mind the ‘no law was broken’ defence. By any standards it was wrong,” Mr Rabbitte said.
And he accused the Taoiseach of trying to pass off the entire affair as some sort of fairy story.
“You believe in the tooth fairy if you believe that businessmen happen along to a function in a posh hotel to listen to any old Joe Soap talk to them about the Irish economy and then organise an impromptu collection to give him something for himself,” he said.
