The Tanaiste and the Minister for Finance will be able to participate in any Cabinet decisions on a new terminal for Dublin Airport, despite having enjoyed a holiday in the south of France at the invitation of a businessman promoting a terminal project for the site, the Taoiseach has indicated.
Asked yesterday if he believed that Ms Mary Harney and Mr Charlie McCreevy should absent themselves from any Cabinet decisions on matters relevant to the businessman, Mr Ulick McEvaddy, Mr Ahern said: "Not at all."
The Taoiseach said that he did not believe the two Ministers had any questions to answer regarding their stay, at Mr McEvaddy's invitation, in a villa near Nice. If they did, these would be covered in declaration forms required by legislation, he said.
"If the Ministers had any questions to answer, they will answer it in their forms, but that is a question that they have to look at. On the face of it, I don't think that they have."
The Minister for Public Enterprise, Mrs O'Rourke, confirmed yesterday that Mr McEvaddy had met her last year to discuss his scheme for a second terminal at Dublin Airport. An official from her Department was present at the meeting.
Mrs O'Rourke said that any decision to develop Dublin Airport would be a matter for the Cabinet, but there was "no such thing as anyone going to Cabinet with a proposal at this stage".
The Minister said that an independent consultant's report on the development of Dublin Airport would be completed by next month.
As far as she was concerned, the holiday in France did not cause any conflict of interest, Mrs O'Rourke said. "Both colleagues are as honest as the day is long. They have broken no rules and have done nothing wrong."
The Taoiseach said that he was not concerned at the revelations. "If you got an invitation for a few days in a very nice villa in a nice location, I suppose we would probably all take it", he said.
Later, a spokesman for Mr Ahern said: "It is ridiculous to think that either Minister could be bought for the price of bed and breakfast in the South of France."
The leader of the Labour Party, Mr Ruairi Quinn, accused Ms Harney and Mr McCreevy of having seriously compromised them selves. He said that he was "amazed" at the Taoiseach's "flippant" attitude.
Mr Quinn quoted from the guidelines to Ministers contained in the Ethics in Public Office Act, which begins: "All office-holders are expected to adhere to the fundamental principle that an offer of gifts, hospitality or service should not be accepted where it would, or might appear to, place him or her under an obligation."
A spokesman for the Tanaiste said last night that she was fully aware of her obligations under the Ethics in Public Office Act. Ms Harney arrived back in Dublin by air from France last night.
A Government spokesman said that the Taoiseach had no plans to speak to Ms Harney or Mr McCreevy about the matter.
It emerged yesterday that the former Fine Gael Minister for Justice, Mrs Nora Owen, also visited the McEvaddy villa in the South of France. Mrs Owen said that she was not a Minister at the time.
It has also emerged that the Fine Gael leader and former Taoiseach, Mr John Bruton, was last August flown from west Cork to Omagh in a helicopter courtesy of Mr McEvaddy to attend a memorial service for victims of the bombing of the town.
Mr Robert Molloy, Minister of State and party colleague of Ms Harney, described the controversy was an "example of the silly season".