Independent TDs may hold key to success of Ansbacher motion

The Government came under increased Opposition pressure yesterday to publish the names of the Ansbacher account holders, with moves by both Fine Gael and Labour to force the issue when the Dail resumes tomorrow.

Fine Gael published details of a private member's motion calling on the Government to make the names of the Ansbacher account holders public via a Dail committee. The Labour Party, meanwhile, published a Bill to allow the Tanaiste, Ms Harney, to place the names before the Dail.

With the Labour Party, the two Green Party TDs, Independent TD Mr Tony Gregory and Socialist TD Mr Joe Higgins all likely to vote for the Fine Gael motion when it is debated in the Dail on Thursday, the position of the other Independent TDs could prove crucial for the Government.

It is understood that the Independents will be meeting the Government Chief Whip, Mr Seamus Brennan, on Wednesday, when the matter will be discussed. The Kerry South Independent TD, Mr Jackie Healy-Rae, has already said he will not make up his mind on the issue until after he has met Mr Brennan; the other Independents were not available for comment.

A Fine Gael spokesman confirmed last night that the party will be seeking support for its motion from Labour at a meeting of party whips today. Fine Gael will also be contacting the Independents seeking their support.

A Labour spokesman said that, in principle, the party would support the Fine Gael motion. As Labour will not have private members' time in the Dail this week, the Fine Gael motion will be debated first.

"We will certainly have discussions on the matter at the meeting of whips," the spokesman continued. "Our position is that any means that will lead to the publication of the Ansbacher names will have our full support."

But Ms Harney said last night that if the Government broke the law by publishing the names, there would be no prosecutions. "I don't believe that's what people want to see," she told RTE news.

Mr Bruton said yesterday there was a huge and justifiable public anger at the revelations surrounding the Ansbacher account holders.

"Fine Gael believes that the names of the account holders should be published at once and is proposing a private member's motion in the Dail on Wednesday to this effect," he said.

The motion calls on the Government to ensure that names of all persons who held Ansbacher accounts are made public via a Dail committee.

Fine Gael said it would support the Government in amending section 21 of the 1990 Companies Act to allow publication of the names to a Dail committee. ail.

Section 21 of the 1990 Companies Act precludes disclosure gathered in the course of an investigation other than to a competent authority. A committee of the Dail can be defined as a competent authority, said Mr Bruton, who said the party had taken legal advice on the matter.

Meanwhile, the Labour Party published a one-page Bill which would amend the 1990 Companies Act, giving the Tanaiste the power to place the names of the Ansbacher account holders before the Dail.

The Labour Party leader, Mr Quinn, said the responsibility to publish the names of the Ansbacher deposit holders clearly rests with the Government.

"Had they referred this issue to the Moriarty Tribunal, as Labour has sought, then the names would now almost certainly be in the public domain," he said.

The Green Party said it would be supporting the Fine Gael motion and described the excuses for not publishing the Ansbacher names as "completely bogus and smacking of protectionism".