Green Party leader John Gormley strongly defended the Taoiseach's handling of his tax affairs yesterday and said he believes that Mr Ahern is tax compliant.
In robust comments in support of the Taoiseach, Mr Gormley indicated that the controversy over Mr Ahern's finances was unlikely to cause any major difficulties between the two main coalition partners. "I think the Taoiseach is tax compliant and that's good enough for me," the Minister for the Environment said.
"I think he is tax compliant and more importantly I think that we have to work well together in Government and we have to deliver on the issues which we have actually put out there into the forefront and which are contained in the programme for government."
In an interview on RTÉ's This Week programme, Mr Gormley said he had "total confidence" in the work of the Mahon tribunal and he was not trying to pre-empt its work.
Mr Ahern is next due before the tribunal on Thursday, February 21st.
Mr Gormley said that for the Coalition between Fianna Fáil, the Greens and the PDs to work, there had to be a certain level of trust, "and I think that trust is there in relation to the statements that he [ Mr Ahern] has made.
He added that the consecutive statements Mr Ahern had made on the Revenue Commissioners' handling of his tax compliance issues had cleared up any confusion over the matter.
Mr Gormley's comments were criticised by Opposition parties. Fine Gael's environment spokesman Phil Hogan said the Green Party leader was ill-advised to express confidence in Mr Ahern's tax affairs.
"This is another example of where the Greens have abandoned principles for the purpose of remaining in government. Minister Gormley should remember that blind loyalty is no substitute for political integrity," he said
A spokesman for the Labour Party said Mr Gormley's transformation from one of Mr Ahern's most ardent critics to one of his "most fawning colleagues" was astounding. "Not since St Paul on the road to Damascus has anybody undergone such a thorough and dramatic turnaround," he said.
A spokesman for the Green Party responded last night that the Fine Gael and Labour comments reflected more on their disappointment at the general election outcome than anything else: "Mr Gormley said the Taoiseach is co-operating with the Revenue Commissioners and the Mahon tribunal and the Green Party will await the outcome of both these processes while all the time working to implement an ambitious programme for government."
Mr Gormley also told RTÉ yesterday that the carbon levy, a tax on fossil fuels, would be delivered during the Government's lifetime. He said that Tánaiste and Minister for Finance Brian Cowen was committed to this but wanted to examine the economic impact. He also promised that Dáil reform - especially the number of sitting days each year - would be tackled before 2012.