Ahern pressed on Flynn offshore accounts allegation

The Labour Party has tonight called on the Taoiseach to make a statement on what it described as "astounding revelations" of tax evasion involving the former Fianna Fáil minister Mr Padraig Flynn.

According to a TV3 news report, a cheque for £50,000 (€63,487) received by Mr Flynn from Sligo builder Mr Tom Gilmartin in 1989 went into offshore accounts in the names of Mr Flynn, his wife and their daughter Ms Beverly Cooper-Flynn.

Mr Gilmartin believed he was giving the money to the Fianna Fáil Party but TV3 claims the money went into a bogus non-resident account held by Mr Flynn and his wife.

Half of that money was then allegedly moved into off-shore accounts held in their names and that of their daughter Ms Cooper-Flynn.

Ms Cooper-Flynn, who is a current Fianna Fáil deputy for Mayo, is alleged to have looked after the arrangements in her capacity as a financial consultant for National Irish Bank.

The Labour Party tonight described the allegations as "among the most serious ever to have been made regarding any political figure in this country".

"What  has  been  alleged here is that a current Fianna Fáil Dail Deputy used her then  position  as  a  financial  consultant  to effectively launder money for a person  who  was,  at  that  time,  a prominent Fianna Fáil government minister," the party's environment spokesman, Mr Eamon Gilmore said.

He called on the Taoiseach to make a statement on "these astounding allegations".

Mr Flynn's only comments on the issue of Mr Gilmartin's £50,000 in the past have been to say he would welcome an opportunity to appear at the Mahon tribunal.