Ahern has confidence of House, says defiant Cowen

DÁIL REPORT:THERE IS no designated successor as leader of Fianna Fáil, Tánaiste Brian Cowen has insisted in the Dáil as he said of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern that "while he holds the leadership of this party and enjoys the confidence of this House and this party he will lead this party".

He was responding to Labour leader Eamon Gilmore who said that Mr Cowen was the only person who could provide leadership, because the Opposition did not have the numbers, the Green party was not prepared to exercise its political influence and "the Taoiseach's position in terms of public credibility and in terms of political authority is just untenable.

"And he's clearly not going to go voluntarily, clearly intends to brazen it out."

In the controversy about Mr Ahern's personal finances, the Labour leader described Mr Ahern's answers to the Mahon tribunal as "unbelievable explanations" and said that "we are in 'the dog ate my homework' territory on this".

During heated exchanges Mr Cowen rejected Mr Gilmore's claim that the Taoiseach had compromised his position to lead the country.

He insisted that Mr Ahern did have the confidence of the House and said that if the question was whether the Taoiseach had received money from property developer Owen O'Callaghan, "the Taoiseach is adamant that he did not receive one cent, one penny, one euro from Mr O'Callaghan".

He added, "that is the Taoiseach's position" and "there has been no material provided to the contrary".

Mr Cowen hit out at Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, claimed he was manufacturing issues and said that "during the two years about which he's obsessing", Mr Kenny's party "at headquarter level, not constituency level, at headquarter level, were involved in systemic tax evasion, paying under-the-counter payments to their employees and had to settle six years later with the Revenue Commissioners in 2001".

He added that "I've heard nothing about standards in relation to that matter". He said "the political arena is not the place to judge anyone's guilt or innocence because those words are not the currency of politics".

He said directly to Mr Kenny: "You are incomplete in your suggestion that the Taoiseach was not prepared to provide documentation which is part of the privileged relationship he has and his clients have and his representatives have with their advisers.

"He's entitled to seek a judicial review on that matter since he hasn't got the information that the tribunal people have in relation to their bogus dollar claim and how they came up with their particular theory."

But Mr Gilmore said holding political office was about confidence, and they were now in a position where confidence in the Taoiseach "cannot continue". He said the Opposition had taken the view that the Taoiseach should be allowed to give his evidence to the tribunal, but he had given a series of "cockeyed explanations".

He said "you can buy one of these stories, but trying to buy them all and particularly trying to buy them given the contradictions which are now emerging between one and another is just unbelievable and it is going to go on."

The Labour leader said that Mr Ahern had designated Mr Cowen as his successor. "Have you had any conversation with him about when that designation will take place?", he asked.

Insisting Mr Ahern enjoyed the confidence of the House, Mr Cowen said "there are no designated successors in this or any other party". The Taoiseach said "he had a personal preference, but it was a matter for everyone in this party to decide who the next leader is and I don't make any presumption".