Ahern accepts new tribunal on Haughey is necessary

The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, has conceded the principle that a second tribunal will have to be established to further investigate Mr Charles Haughey's financial affairs while he was in office. In his first reaction to Mr Haughey's admission that he received £1.3 million from Mr Ben Dunne, Mr Ahern said that it revealed standards of conduct "that are unacceptable from one of the most capable leaders that this country has seen".

Mr Ahern said he was "deeply unhappy" with what he had heard. It damaged the body politic. Moving to distance himself and many of his Ministers from increasingly damaging allegations about the Haughey era, Mr Ahern added: "There are certainly issues which, unfortunately, as we view them, tarnish much of the good work that we have all been involved in - both myself and people who serve with me now, and people who served with me in the years gone by."

The public condemnation of the actions of the former Taoiseach, Mr Haughey, came only hours after the Tanaiste and PD leader, Ms Harney, made a further tribunal inevitable.

Mr Haughey's evidence to the McCracken tribunal on Tuesday "wasn't credible," she said, adding that the Government would take whatever action was required to ensure that all avenues and all investigations were explored "and that does obviously mean another tribunal."

Denying any inference that there was some difference between what the Taoiseach or herself might want, Ms Harney emphatically stated: "I think the culture that exists at the head of Fianna Fail now is very different to what it was during Mr Haughey's era."

In a new development, meanwhile, the deputy leader of Fine Gael, Mrs Nora Owen, presented a series of four questions "relevant to Fianna Fail that can be answered at once by the Taoiseach in advance of a new tribunal."

She called on Mr Ahern to reveal details of the private investigations conducted by the Minister for Social Welfare, Mr Dermot Ahern, on the Fianna Fail leader's behalf in London, "where he interviewed a person who donated a substantial sum of money to a party colleague."

Was the Taoiseach satisfied that the sum of money involved was spent for legitimate party purposes and fully accounted for, she asked.

Mrs Owen also asked Mr Ahern to account for the annual leader's allowance to Mr Haughey over many years; to examine the original allegations made by Mr Paul McKay, former treasurer of Fianna Fail in Mr Haughey's constituency, about financial mismanagement in the party; and to clarify whether Mr P.J. Mara, national director of elections for Fianna Fail and close confidant of Mr Haughey, had any knowledge of his financial arrangements with Mr Des Traynor.

With embarrassing reminders of the Haughey era haunting his Government, the Taoiseach asserted last night that the public was entitled to be satisfied that, as far as could reasonably be done, there was no corruption in the body politic and, if there was, it would be rooted out.

He also suggested, "if the truthfulness and integrity of some of the decisions don't add up any more," then there would have to be further investigation.

Asked whether Mr Haughey could lose his position on the Council of State or have his Dail privileges removed from him, Mr Ahern responded: "We have no control or say over these issues. It would be purely a matter for the President."

Asked if he envisaged that a new inquiry would concentrate on Mr Haughey solely or have broader terms of reference, Mr Ahern said: "As far as it just being about Mr Haughey, I have an open mind on that. There have been many issues turned up over the years which have been mentioned and, if we are looking at a new tribunal, those issues could be looked at as well."

The current tribunal was narrow enough to be focused on issues and broad enough to take in a fair range of matters. "I think any other tribunal would have to be wider than that," Mr Ahern said, signalling that it was his intention to bring more than one or two politicians within its remit.