The Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, has called on Fianna Fail to leave government and go into opposition, saying the party is not in a position to lead the much-needed renewal of Irish politics after recent scandals.
Noting Mr Ahern's expression of shock at Mr Charles Haughey's past financial wrongdoing, Mr Bruton said he would now like to hear the Taoiseach express regret for his past support for Mr Haughey. In a statement attempting to link Mr Ahern and today's Fianna Fail with Mr Haughey's behaviour, Mr Bruton claimed: "All the evidence is that Bertie Ahern supported Charlie Haughey right to the end."
Mr Bruton said he welcomed Mr Ahern's expression of "shock" about the revelation that Mr Haughey got £8.5 million from wealthy supporters. However, he suggested this was not enough, and that Mr Ahern should also acknowledge his own past "serious misjudgements".
Mr Bruton's statement followed Mr Ahern's comments to reporters in Warsaw on Thursday that Mr Haughey had betrayed the ethos of Fianna Fail. "What has emerged from all this is a deviation from the standards and ethos of Fianna Fail not just during the period of the founders of the party, but at all times in our history," Mr Ahern said.
Mr Bruton said the first step Mr Ahern could take in the vindication of politics "would be to express regret for his own support for both Mr Haughey's overthrow of Mr Jack Lynch in 1979 and for his resistance, on Mr Haughey's behalf, of all attempts to remove Mr Haughey. All the evidence is that Bertie Ahern supported Charlie Haughey right to the end."
He said he wasn't suggesting Mr Ahern knew about Mr Haughey's finances, but "Mr Haughey's style of politics and previous events concerning him should have alerted well-placed and informed people like Mr Ahern to the dangers of the Haughey leadership of Fianna Fail".