Quinn emphatically denies requesting opinion poll

Mr Ruairi Quinn denies categorically that he requested Independent Newspapers to conduct an opinion poll on the leadership election in the Labour Party last November.

He rejects the assertion that either he, or the party, "are in any way beholden to" the Independent Newspaper group. The Labour leader also denies the claim that "bogus invoices were sent on foot of expenses which were not actually incurred by the 1990 presidential campaign".

A bruised Mr Quinn was forced yesterday to confront the damaging allegations circulating since he beat Mr Brendan Howlin by 37 votes to 27 for the leadership.

Following individual meetings with colleagues, including Mr Howlin, and a parliamentary party meeting, his spokesman said they fully accepted his explanations.

At the height of the day's tension, Mr Howlin told The Irish Times: "My view was very strong at the time that the poll had an influence on the election for the party leadership. My view now is that the matter is over. As far as I am concerned, the election is over and I don't intend to rerun it."

Responding to claims by the editor of Magill magazine, Vincent Browne, Mr Quinn said he had a conversation "initiated by me" with Mr John Meagher, deputy chairman of Independent Newspapers Plc, during the leadership election. He rang him to find out if it was carrying out an opinion poll on the election, he said.

"He wasn't sure at the time and I indicated to him that I had reason to believe that an opinion poll would be positive from my point of view," he added. "I had access to research done . . . that indicated that I came out favourably in opinion polls as a minister in the last government."

Mr Quinn said a poll was conducted and he had no contact whatsoever with Mr Meagher in the interim. Neither had he any knowledge of what took place within the Independent Group regarding the poll.

Mr Quinn also said the payment of £5,000 by Fitzwilton Plc, also controlled by Dr Tony O'Reilly, to his brother's company, QMP, was for advertising work carried out in the 1990 presidential election campaign. He said a cheque was made out by Fitzwilton directly to QMP as part-payment for campaign work. He never received money from Dr O'Reilly or any of his associated companies, he added.

A statement issued on behalf of Independent Newspapers Plc, Dr O'Reilly, chairman, and Mr John Meagher, deputy chairman, said no director or executive of Independent Newspapers Plc was involved in the commissioning of the opinion poll. Mr Meagher did not contact Dr O'Reilly, or anybody else, as alleged. The decision to conduct the poll was made by the editor, Vincent Doyle, arising from a normal round-table editorial conference, the statement said.