The Taoiseach has told Ministers to ensure that they only feature themselves in publicly-funded advertising when the primary intention is to serve "a clear public or official purpose".
Mr Ahern wrote to all Ministers last month after the Standards In Public Office Commission (SIPO) wrote to him about a complaint from Labour Senator Derek McDowell concerning large photographs of former minister of state Ivor Callely in adverts regarding Operation Freeflow.
Mr McDowell, who will seek to regain a Dáil seat in Mr Callely's Dublin North Central constituency at the next general election, complained to the commission before Christmas. According to SIPO, Mr McDowell said the adverts, paid for by the Department of Transport, were supposed to be about transport and traffic arrangements in Dublin.
"The inclusion of a large photograph of the minister of state serves no purpose other than to raise his profile, with the bill being picked up by the taxpayer."
SIPO has decided not to pursue the complaint. However, it wrote last month to Mr Ahern asking that the code of conduct for office holders be reviewed "in order that office holders are provided with clear guidelines as to the circumstances in which public resources can be used in a way that avoids the inappropriate raising of profile in the context of a general election".
In response Mr Ahern told the commission that he would consider this "when consideration turns to the preparation of a new code of conduct when we have gained further experience of its operation". He added that he had written to Ministers on the issue.
In this letter Mr Ahern says "it is both appropriate and necessary for the Government to use public funds, for example, for advertising and publicity to inform the public about particular issues or to raise awareness of an important public service campaign".
However, he added: "Where public resources are used to generate publicity, office holders should satisfy themselves that any participation by them is primarily intended and is reasonably expected to support a clear public or official purpose, and that any consequential personal publicity is clearly subordinate and incidental."