Chief whip: Senior Cabinet ministers heavily criticised Government chief whip Tom Kitt privately yesterday, following sharp Dáil exchanges over demands for a full debate next week on payments to Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.
During the Dáil row, Tánaiste and Progressive Democrats leader Michael McDowell had held the line against the Opposition, offering only to consider their demands to put the Taoiseach under an hour of questioning.
However, Mr Kitt caused deep disquiet among senior Fianna Fáil ministers when he went further and said the Government would agree rules for next week's debate "by consensus".
Fianna Fáil had been caused concern by PD deputy leader Liz O'Donnell's RTÉ Morning Ireland radio interview, in which she said questions still remained unanswered and that they should be dealt with fully.
Some of the senior ministers later rushed to Mr Kitt's office before he met the Opposition whips, Fine Gael's Paul Kehoe, Labour's Emmet Stagg, the Green Party's Dan Boyle, Sinn Féin's Aengus Ó Snodaigh and Independent TD Tony Gregory.
The proposed meeting with the Opposition whips, which was due to take place at 11.30am, was delayed for about an hour, while the Taoiseach was contacted in Cavan.
Following repeated delays, Mr Kitt met the whips shortly after 12.30pm and refused to offer anything more than five minutes of statements, followed by a five-minute reply by the Taoiseach.
A major row is now certain in the Dáil when it meets again next Tuesday, unless the Taoiseach agrees to make a full statement on the controversy surrounding an £8,000 sterling payment he received in Manchester.
The Opposition had been infuriated earlier after Mr McDowell told them they could put questions down to the Taoiseach under normal Dáil rules, even though the deadline for submitting such questions had passed.
"The Taoiseach will answer any questions that pertain to himself or his public functions in this House," he said, adding: "This House, as always, will get full accountability."
Further pressed, Mr McDowell said: "I can give the assurance that if a concrete, worked-out proposal is put to us the Government will consider it. We will consider that issue and respond promptly." However, the Government's control of events was shaken after the Government chief whip's intervention.
Mr Kitt, a Dublin South TD, said he had rejected the Opposition's demands expressed on Wednesday that Mr Ahern should come before the Dáil and make a special statement.
"In the light of this morning's debate and the Tánaiste's commitment, I agree to meet the whips and, in the spirit of co-operation, agree procedures for next week. I give that commitment now and think we should meet as soon as possible, in the next hour or so."