The Minister of State, Mr Dick Roche, has rejected criticism of the sending of a press release on his councillor wife's behalf from his official e-mail address.
It was evidence he said that "Enda Kenny is hell-bent on proving that he is one of the most small-minded political figures around".
The Fine Gael leader claimed in the Dáil yesterday that a press release in the name of Cllr Eleanor Roche objecting to the proposed development levy in Wicklow had been issued from Mr Roche's ministerial office, as it had Mr Roche's official e-mail address on it.
He asked the Taoiseach if he considered this to be an abuse of power and to check "how many hundred thousand of these press releases were sent out".
Mr Ahern agreed to check the matter, saying: "No document by a councillor, regardless of who that councillor is, should be issued from the Minister of State's office. I will check that because it should not be the case."
However, Mr Roche said later that the press release had been circulated to the media last Sunday night from his constituency office in his home, and not from his ministerial office.
It was sent from a computer used by him and his wife. The e-mail address, MoS.Roche_at_Taoiseach.Gov.ie, was one they routinely used from home.
"If Mr Kenny wants to elevate the cost of sending an e-mail into a national debate he can," said Mr Roche, "but it's an astonishing thing for the leader of the opposition to be doing."
Mr Roche resigned from Wicklow County Council in 2002 when he was appointed a Minister of State. Fianna Fáil selected his wife to succeed him.
A Fine Gael spokesman said later that Mr Kenny had merely raised why the press release had been sent from the Minister of State's address, and if Mr Roche had an explanation that was fine.