The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, said yesterday he was not concerned about the possibility of a constitutional challenge to the Government's ban on conducting opinion polls in the seven days before an election or referendum.
"It's a person's democratic right to challenge [the Bill]. If they do, they do, and if the Government's decision is upheld, it's upheld, and if it's not, it's not. I mean, I'm not concerned," he said.
"It is our view that at a time when we are trying to get the participation of voters in this country up and we are trying to get people interested, opinion polls in the last week [are] not a good thing," he added.
Mr Ahern said he could not comment on the Attorney General's advice to Cabinet on the issue.
The Irish Times reported yesterday that the Government was warned by the Attorney General and by an independent legal expert that a ban on carrying out and publishing opinion polls in the seven days before polling day could be unconstitutional.
"I can't say what the Attorney General said at Cabinet. I'm saying that what is reflected in the paper this morning of the sequence of events and what was said by people is not correct".
Asked about public concern at the manner in which the Electoral Bill was rushed through the Dail before the summer recess, he said the only people who had mentioned the issue to him were journalists.
"I know people are not discussing it over breakfast. I can tell you that".
Mr Ahern said the Bill had been in preparation for three or four years and was not rushed through with an early election in mind. "That's the only reason it's been dealt with at this time," he said, adding that he did not expect an autumn election.
He rejected a description of the move as draconian. "I really can't see how that's the case.
"In many other countries they ban them for the entire election campaign. I don't agree with that.
"The Government's view and the decision we made is just for the last seven days that opinion polls should not be taken or published".
"I think a ban for a week is a good idea. It should be tried anyway". The decision had been made and would not be revised, he insisted.
He said people should be able to reflect on elections in the seven days before them without having "things thrown on top of them".
In England, it was claimed opinion polls in the final days of elections caused people to stay away from polling booths, he said.
"I don't think that in any way takes away from anyone's rights. I don't think it infringes on anybody, but if it's challenged, the courts will have to arbitrate on it.
"But it's the Government's view that the last week doesn't infringe on anybody," Mr Ahern said.
He also said the move was not related to the recent TG4 opinion poll in the days before the Tipperary South by-election but claimed that poll had influenced the campaign. "In Tipperary it did affect the whole morale of the campaign," he said.
Mr Ahern said he would be glad to meet the newspaper industry's representative organisation, the National Newspapers of Ireland, which sought an urgent meeting with him to discuss the change.
"But I'd have to say when I had previous meetings with them they said they would be against opinion polls being banned for the entire period of campaigns and we took that into account".