Taoiseach Bertie Ahern called on Green Party leader Trevor Sargent either to "put up or shut up" about allegations he made against Minister of State Frank Fahey.
The Green Party TD called for the sacking of Mr Fahey, whom he described as dodgy, over decisions he had made while minister for the marine and because of declarations of his business interests.
But the Taoiseach said that if Mr Sargent had anything to say about breaches by Mr Fahey of the Ethics in Public Office Act, he should give it to Mr Justice Matthew Smith, chairman of the Standards in Public Office Commission.
"If the deputy has anything to say about the probity of anything else in regard to the Minister Fahey, he should say it outside the House and let the Minister of State deal with it." Deputies have full parliamentary privilege in the Dáil. "Deputy Sargent must either put up or shut up," he added. "If you have the evidence, give it to Mr Justice Smith. If you don't, you should come into the House tomorrow and withdraw your statement."
Mr Sargent raised the issue following the publication of the Revenue Commissioners' list of tax defaulters. "What message does it send to people who ask how are they expected to afford a basic house in the Ireland of 2006 when they see Mick and Tom Bailey pay €22 million to the Revenue Commissioners, which is effectively a fine, yet the Taoiseach welcomes them to the Fianna Fáil tent in the Galway races?
"What message does it send when a Minister of State like Deputy Fahey is able to avoid tax in building up a multimillion euro property empire?"
Mr Fahey "has 20 properties in Ireland and seven abroad. He owns half a share in a property company and has stocks and work in progress worth €1.4 million. He has a hazy recollection of receiving donations from Monarch Properties. He failed to declare interests in a Moscow hairdressing business."
Ceann Comhairle Dr Rory O'Hanlon repeatedly asked Mr Sargent not to cast aspersions that he could not substantiate. But Mr Sargent asked if the Taoiseach was standing over his Minister of State "who is under investigation by the Ombudsman for giving 75 per cent of total State compensation for fisheries vessels lost at sea to two constituents and giving half of Ireland's mackerel quota to just one boat, the Atlantic Dawn".
Mr Sargent said "fortune favours the brave", but "under the Taoiseach's watch, fortune has favoured the corrupt and greedy". He asked if the Taoiseach would "stand idly by" while dodgy builders and dodgy members of the Government parties "set the real standards for government".
Mr Ahern replied it was because of laws introduced by his Government that "people who evaded tax in the past are no longer doing so whether they are dodgy builders, legitimate builders or any other kind of builders". He had also introduced the Standards in Public Office Act, which some deputies believed was unduly strict.
