Ahern due back at Mahon Tribunal

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern will tomorrow attend the Mahon Tribunal for the first of two consecutive days of evidence.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern will tomorrow attend the Mahon Tribunal for the first of two consecutive days of evidence.

Mr Ahern last appeared before the planning corruption inquiry over four days in September when his 1990s personal finances were investigated.

Tribunal lawyers focused part of their inquiries on cash lodgements made to Mr Ahern during a 13-month period between 1994 and 1995 while he was Minister for Finance.

Barristers will again quiz the Taoiseach tomorrow on other aspects of his personal finances as part of the Quarryvale II module of the long-running inquiry.

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The Tribunal, which has heard more than 800 days of evidence at Dublin Castle, will adjourn for the Christmas break following Mr Ahern's testimony.

It will resume on January 8th with former political lobbyist Frank Dunlop in the witness box.

Last month Opposition parties accused the Government of trying to intimidate the Mahon Tribunal just weeks before the Taoiseach was due to give evidence.

The Government was attempting to enact the Tribunal of Inquiry Bill which was previously shelved after Fine Gael and Labour opposed it.

Fine Gael Enda Kenny told the Dáil he regarded the timing of the re-introduction of the Bill as "sinister."

But Tánaiste Brian Cowen, who was deputising for the Taoiseach in the Dail, dismissed the claims as "nonsense" and said the Bill was on the Dáil legislative schedule for some time.

The Bill aims to modernise inquiry procedures, reform the fees structure for lawyers and prevent media leaks of confidential documents.