Fianna Fáil has accused Fine Gael of trying to gag Taoiseach Bertie Ahern by asking the European Parliament to withdraw his invitation to speak there next month.
Mr Ahern is due to address the parliament on November 29th in a speech designed to outline his views on how to proceed with the ratification of the EU constitution.
However, Hans Gert Pöttering, the leader of the biggest political group in the parliament, the European People's Party (EPP), proposed withdrawing the invitation to Mr Ahern last Thursday because the speaking engagement is too close to the next election.
He also argued that a general invitation to EU leaders to address parliament should be withdrawn because so few prime ministers from the larger states had agreed to come.
Mr Pöttering's intervention followed consultations with Avril Doyle, the leader of Fine Gael's delegation at the parliament, who told him it was inappropriate to give Mr Ahern such a high-profile international forum to speak to so close to the election. Mr Pöttering's proposal was rejected last week by the leaders of the six other political groups who attended the conference of presidents - where the parliament president and the political groups agree on the parliament's agenda.
Fianna Fáil yesterday criticised the Fine Gael proposal as playing petty internal Irish party politics on the international stage.
"The bottom line here is that this was an attempt to embarrass the Taoiseach on the international stage," said Fianna Fáil MEP Seán Ó Neachtáin. "It is an insult to Bertie Ahern as a person, it is an insult to the office of the Taoiseach and it is an insult to the Irish people."
Fianna Fáil MEP Liam Aylward said all parties should always be promoting Irish people on the international stage at every opportunity. "That is why I am proud of the fact that John Bruton is the EU ambassador to America.
"That is why I am proud of the fact that Pat Cox was president of the European Parliament and equally that is why I am proud of the fact that the Taoiseach is one of a select number of EU prime ministers who have asked to address the European Parliament on the EU's constitutional difficulties".
Robert Fitzhenry, spokesman for the EPP group at the parliament, confirmed that Mr Pöttering had raised the issue of Mr Ahern's planned speech.
He said there was a feeling in the EPP that prime ministers should not be invited to address the parliament so close to a domestic election. This had emerged following a recent speech by Belgium's prime minister Guy Verhofstadt before this month's local elections in Belgium.
However he said, once Mr Pöttering became aware the invitation had been accepted by Mr Ahern, he had agreed it should not be withdrawn.
Ms Doyle accused the Taoiseach of using his appearance for electioneering purposes. "Only two prime ministers have accepted the invitation to the parliament and it happens that both were coming up to an election."
She said Fine Gael could not embarrass Mr Ahern more on the international stage than he had already done so with his "grubby little episode" of accepting money when he was minister for finance.