Taoiseach Bertie Ahern yesterday denied there was a rift between the Government parties on the issue of taxation and dismissed reports of meltdown as "ridiculous".
Newspapers had to publish something, and "there's no tensions whatever", he said.
Mr Ahern said stamp duty on private houses was not an issue for the forthcoming budget, and so had not been discussed at Cabinet level on Monday at a meeting to prepare the book of estimates. There had been no discussion whatever on the matter on Monday.
During the interview with reporters in Tralee at a new education and resource centre for Kerry's 1,600 teachers, Mr Ahern said the Government was concentrating on the book of estimates for the December budget.
The stamp duty issue had arisen at a party conference of the Progressive Democrats which was discussing suggestions for future years.
"What we are concerned about now is the budget in two months' time. Yesterday's Cabinet and most of the meetings for the next few weeks are preparation for the estimates and preparing for the budget of December and making sure we get the national plan finished . . . Then we can look into the future. But for this budget it's a different agenda."
The stamp duty matter had not arisen at Monday's Cabinet meeting, and there would be no discussion this side of the budget on proposals for the budgets of 2008 and subsequent years.
He said the Progressive Democrats had conferences like all parties, and like all parties were looking into the future and looking into issues for 2007 to 2012.
The stamp duty issue had arisen as a suggestion, "one of many" put forward at a political party conferences. It should be seen in that light.
"In fairness to Michael McDowell he said this is an option, one of a number of options his party is looking at," said Mr Ahern.
He said he would not expect any political party to clear with him its policy agenda. He was responding to a question if Mr McDowell had cleared the suggestion of removing stamp duty on private houses with him.
Dismissing a rift, Mr Ahern said: "I saw some ridiculous headline in some ridiculous paper this morning about meltdown."
He added that "blowdown" would be a more appropriate headline on a wet day than talking about a rift in the Government. The Taoiseach was speaking in Tralee where he opened a new education centre for the county's 1,612 primary and second-level teachers. The Sam Maguire cup also paid a visit to the centre, carried by senior GAA players and teachers Marc Ó Sé and Mike Frank Russell.
Mr Ahern also opened an all-weather sport centre at the Institute of Technology. He said prayer was the only answer to quell the tail-end of the hurricane affecting Ryder Cup practice.