The Opposition parties last night demanded clarification of the Government's European policy in light of the comments on Europe made by the Minister for Arts, Heritage, The Gaeltacht and the Islands, Ms De Valera.
The Fine Gael deputy leader, Ms Nora Owen, said it was a "shocking dereliction of his duty" for the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, to have failed to disown the anti-European remarks made by the Minister.
She said while the Minister's remarks were both "unacceptable and inexplicable" it was the failure of the Taoiseach to immediately distance the Government from Ms De Valera's remarks that was most disturbing.
"Mr Ahern must now state whether the current Government have indeed fundamentally changed their position on the enlargement and consolidation of the European Union to an anti-EU stance. Any further delay by Mr Ahern must lead to the conclusion that a huge policy shift has indeed taken place".
The leader of the Labour Party, Mr Ruari Quinn, also called on Mr Ahern to clarify the Government's European policy following Ms De Valera's speech. He said her remarks were a direct challenge to the stated position on the enlargement of the European Union of Mr Ahern's Government's .
"This is the second Government minister to query the Government's policy on Europe. Earlier this summer Mary Harney also questioned the wisdom of the enlargement of the union, despite her Government's active support for the proposal within Europe" he said.
Mr Quinn said we need to know where the Government stands on the issue, adding that it was a critical one for Ireland. "It would be wholly inappropriate for Ireland at this stage to retreat from the ongoing developments of the European Union. "This `take the money and run' attitude to our own continent is beneath us. Deputy De Valera is parroting the language of the British Tory party", he said.