PDs say they have no need to question Ahern in Dáil

Minister of State and Progressive Democrats' president Tom Parlon last night ruled out any question of the party seeking time to question the Taoiseach during the Dáil debate today on the £8,000 sterling that Mr Ahern received during a visit to Manchester in the mid-1990s.

Mr Parlon said he did not see any need for the Progressive Democrats to question the Taoiseach and pointed out that it would be "extremely unusual" for a Coalition partner to question the leader of a Government of which it was part in the Dáil chamber.

"We have a perfectly good working relationship with our Government partners and I know the Tánaiste has spoken to the Taoiseach a number of times, so we have had different channels to discuss the issue and there's no need for us to question the Taoiseach in the Dáil," he said.

Mr Parlon said that while he wasn't privy to what was going to be in Mr Ahern's statement to the Dáil, he didn't expect "any surprises", given that there was no further development of the story over the weekend in the Sunday papers.

"I'm happy to wait and see what he comes forward with tomorrow - I certainly hope this will be end of the matter because I feel the last 10 days have been a waste of Government time in terms of getting on with our business," he said in Cork yesterday.

"Perhaps it's important, and it probably is important, that it's all accounted for, but on the other hand we are being sidetracked. If it had been done last week, it clearly would have been a lot better but I'm happy that by tomorrow evening we'll be back on track," he said.

Mr Parlon declined to comment on whether he believed the Taoiseach was wrong to accept the money in Manchester but said he believed Mr Ahern will give a full account of his actions in the Dáil today.