The Taoiseach rebuked a Minister and junior minister in the Dáil yesterday. Mr Ahern said that information packs distributed by the Minister for Education, Mr Dempsey, for electoral purposes were a collation of information publicly available.
"The information included in the packs is not a problem. However, the folders were Department of Education and Science packs and they should not have been used.
"That was wrong and I said that to the Minister [Mr Dempsey]. He should not have used Department of Education and Science folders for such information. I accept there was an error in that matter." He added: "The letter sent by the Minister of State, Deputy Fahey, [Mr Frank Fahey, Minister of State for Enterprise and Employment] concerning a party fundraising event was sent from his constituency office.
"It is totally inappropriate and, as Deputy Kenny pointed out, is in breach of guidelines.
"I made it clear to the Minister of State when I discussed the matter with him that the use of departmental notepaper for such correspondence is not permitted.
"He believed there was a distinction because it was his constituency office. However, there is not and the standard is clear."
The matter was raised by the Fine Gael leader, Mr Enda Kenny, who said that the country had been informed that the Minister for Education, Mr Dempsey, had used Civil Service resources in his Department to prepare election literature marked private and confidential for Fianna Fáil candidates in the local elections.
"After some reluctance, the Taoiseach indicated that this was not a very serious matter.
"However, the Standards in Public Office Commission has initiated an inquiry into the matter."
He said that on the previous day there was a report that Mr Fahey had used public resources and officially headed departmental paper for the purposes of fundraising for a Fianna Fáil candidate at a function at which Mr Ahern would be the guest speaker.
"It appears that some elements in Government do not understand the difference between right and wrong."
Mr Kenny added that the Taoiseach was aware of the standards and code of conduct for office holders which stated specifically in respect of Ministers: "Office holders are provided with facilities at public expense in order that public business may be conducted effectively.
"Holders of public office enjoy an enhanced public profile and should be mindful of the need to avoid the use of resources in a way that could reasonably be construed as an inappropriate raising of profile in the context of a general election. I assume the same applies in the case of all elections." Mr Ahern said: "In this case I accept what Deputy Kenny said and I will remind my colleagues that they were in breach of the code."
Mr Kenny thanked the Taoiseach for his "frankness and openness". "Perhaps it might be appropriate if they were men enough to come to the House and apologise for their behaviour, as happened in 1996 when a then minister of state and a more senior minister apologised to the House for literature that was issued on officially headed notepaper."
