The Labour Party leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, has accused the Tanaiste, Ms Harney, and the Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy, of having "compromised themselves" by spending some of their summer holidays in a villa in France owned by a businessman, Mr Ulick McEvaddy.
Ms Harney has just spent over a week at the villa near Nice as part of a French holiday while Mr McCreevy also spent time there. Ms Harney will return to Ireland today while Mr McCreevy is believed to have returned last week.
Mr McEvaddy is seeking permission to build a privately-owned terminal at Dublin Airport. He has also sought Government backing to oppose new EU rules on aircraft noise levels. These rules would impose limits on noise allowed and could damage Mr McEvaddy's airline, Omega Air, which uses comparatively noisy DC8 aircraft.
While the Government yesterday dismissed the controversy as "plumbing the depths of the silly season", the Labour Party leader said Ms Harney and Mr McCreevy must deal forthrightly with the matter. Mr Quinn said that if the two Ministers stayed at a villa owned by Mr McEvaddy, they "have allowed themselves to be compromised in respect of important decisions to be taken by Cabinet, possibly in the near future".
He said the Cabinet Handbook "states that ministers should not accept gifts if they could give rise to the view that a minister could be placed under an obligation. Travel and accommodation, which are at issue here if the story in the Sunday Tribune is true, are specifically included in the definition of a gift.
"If a minister is unclear as to the interpretation of these guidelines they are invited to discuss the issue with the secretary-general to the Government. Did either Minister pursue this option?" he asked.
He called on Ms Harney and Mr McCreevy to say whether they believed it was now appropriate for them to take part in any Cabinet discussions on the disposal of State lands at Baldonnel or proposals to build a privately-owned terminal at Dublin Airport should that arise.
The Fine Gael spokesman for public enterprise, Mr Ivan Yates TD, said: "The Taoiseach, who is in a position to investigate the matter, should say whether he believes these two, very senior, Ministers showed good judgment in accepting this hospitality, as Ministers."
However, a Government spokes man yesterday accused Mr Quinn of "plumbing the depths of the silly season. Mary Harney and Charlie McCreevy are politicians of proven integrity", he said. Under the Ethics in Public Office Act members of the Oireachtas must declare in their annual return to the Public Offices Commission gifts or donations worth more than £500. A spokesman for Ms Harney said yesterday she was "fully aware of her responsibilities as a Minister and a public representative. She has been holidaying with the same group of friends for several years, and it is a private matter". The group of friends holidaying with Ms Harney this year is believed to have numbered about six and included Mr McCreevy, the Irish Times journalist, Ms Renagh Holohan, and the former Labour Party MEP, Ms Bernie Malone.