Ahern may be forced to make statement on Foley

The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, may finally be forced into making a statement on the Foley affair in the Dail next week.

Fine Gael announced last night that it would use its private members' time on Tuesday to challenge Mr Ahern to answer questions on his role in the affair which led to Mr Foley's resignation from the Public Accounts Committee. The motion will be supported by the Labour Party and the Green Party.

The move follows two unsuccessful attempts by the Opposition this week to get Mr Ahern to answer questions on Mr Foley's offshore accounts.

The Irish Times learned last night that the Fine Gael Whip, Mr Sean Barrett, and the Labour Whip, Mr Emmet Stagg, yesterday wrote to the Ceann Comhairle, Mr Seamus Pattison, asking him to convene an emergency meeting of the Dail Committee on Procedure and Privileges to discuss what they claim is the gradual diminution of the rights of Fine Gael and Labour in the House.

Both parties, which were involved in robust debate during the Dail Order of Business on Tuesday and yesterday on whether the Taoiseach should answer questions on the Foley affair, are complaining that Mr Ahern is being "shielded" by the chair of the House.

The parties have told the Ceann Comhairle, who is chairman of the Dail Committee on Procedure and Privileges, they want debate on matters currently raised on the Order of Business and whether these should be widened to help with the fair running of business.

The Ceann Comhairle yesterday ail ruled out an early investigation by the Committee on Procedure and Privileges into matters arising from the Foley affair. The matter was referred to the committee by the Public Accounts Committee chairman, Mr Jim Mitchell, on Tuesday. However, the Committee on Members' Interests is to proceed with its inquiry on the Foley case and will decide next week what form the investigation should take.

Meanwhile, a Fine Gael private members' motion calls on the Taoiseach to make a statement and answer questions on who told him Mr Foley was under investigation by the Moriarty Tribunal and that he had an Ansbacher account. He will also be asked when he first became aware that Mr Foley might have held offshore accounts or had been compromised in his activities on the Public Accounts Committee.

At the weekly meeting of the Fianna Fail Parliamentary Party yesterday, Mr Ahern invited any TD or senator who might have serious problems with the Revenue Commissioners, an offshore account or money difficulties to come to him. He had made a similar invitation at a parliamentary party meeting in 1997.

There was division at the meeting among TDs and senators as to whether they should answer questions from the Evening Herald on whether they hold offshore accounts.

The chairman of the parliamentary party, Dr Rory O'Hanlon, said it was not Fianna Fail policy to answer such questions individually and that these matters were usually dealt with on a party basis.

However, the Dublin TD Mr Conor Lenihan said he saw no problem with answering the questionnaire.