The Taoiseach last night insisted Fianna Fáil was in a strong position going into the local government elections and told a reporter, who persistently questioned him about Mr Tom Gilmartin's claims, to "give yourself a rest".
Speaking to reporters before delivering the opening speech to his party's ardfheis, Mr Ahern also defended the relaxing of restrictions on one-off house building in the countryside.
"It's not a free-for-all," he said. "We have had a position for a long time where in the city we have planning permission being granted for high-density, high- ratio \ and in rural areas it is almost impossible for someone to get a home."
He said it was unreasonable for people who owned land in the community where they lived to be refused planning permission.
"As we all know it is extremely hard to get planning," he said. "I adhere strictly to the proper planning laws, but when you have a situation where you have three-quarters of the applications where the planning authorities are giving permission being rejected by Bord Pleanála, that's unreasonable for people living in rural communities."
He said that in the last few years planning permission was being given for substantial developments in "a few fields in Dublin or back gardens or a side garden".
Yet "in the country, you get somebody totally out of the way and they can't get planning permission for a son or daughter. I think it's the most bizarre thing I have seen in the country for a long time."
In relation to the European Parliament elections, he said there would be no candidates added to the party ticket in any of the four European Parliament constituencies, including the north-west constituency where delegates selected Mr Seán Ó Neachtáin to join Dr Jim McDaid on the party ticket, rather than Minister of State Mr Frank Fahey, who was favoured by party headquarters. "That's it. We have eight candidates for eight seats and that's it." In the local government elections, he said he wanted to ensure the party held its presence in every constituency and parish in the State.
Mr Ahern said the party had about 20,000 people working for 800 candidates. He agreed that many of the candidates were new because the abolition of the dual mandate meant sitting Oireachtas members could not stand.
"It's a change but I look on it as an opportunity. We have an enormous amount of young people now, men and women from all over the country who otherwise would not have had a chance.
"They are now there, they are not national politicians, they are local candidates involved in their local communities and that's good for democracy.
"Fianna Fáil is enormously strong at all ages. The reality is that in the third-level colleges we have more members than the other parties put together. The mood is good and 80 years on we are doing well."
Asked was he worried about Mr Gilmartin's claims that he would "never recover" from what he would say in evidence at the Mahon tribunal, the Taoiseach replied: "It's all a matter for the tribunals and I'll be there whenever they want me."
Pressed on whether this week's evidence had been damaging for Fianna Fáil, he said: "The tribunals are on, they are functioning, we will adhere to whatever is happening in the tribunals, that's the position. I've no comment to make. If I'm asked to appear I will appear."
Asked had it been a bad week for Fianna Fáil, Mr Ahern said: "It's been an excellent week for Fianna Fáil". Asked why, he said: "Give yourself a rest, will you?"