The Taoiseach's defamation action against a Cork businessman, Mr Denis O'Brien, now awaits a trial date to be fixed by the Circuit Court Office after a motion brought on behalf of Mr Ahern for judgment in default of defence was struck out yesterday.
The action arises out of a claim by Mr O'Brien, of Ballyharoon House, Glanmire, Cork, that he had given the Fianna Fail leader £50,000.
Mr Jim O'Callaghan, counsel for Mr Ahern, had last month asked Judge John Buckley to grant judgment against Mr O'Brien on the grounds that he had failed to deliver a defence to the action.
Judge Buckley had adjourned the application until yesterday to give Mr O'Brien an opportunity to file a late defence and when he was told this had been done he struck out the Taoiseach's motion for judgment and awarded costs against Mr O'Brien.
Mr Ahern began defamation proceedings against Mr O'Brien in August following articles in the Sunday Business Post and Irish Examiner in which an unnamed businessman was reported to have given evidence in private to the Flood tribunal about two alleged £50,000 payments to one current and one former politician.
It is believed Mr O'Brien intends to summon Mr Justice Flood, the sole member of the Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Planning Matters and Payments, as one of the witnesses in his defence.