Political pressure on Fianna Fail to take action against Kerry North TD Mr Denis Foley is set to increase after it emerged that he may still have £100,000 in an account in the Cayman Islands.
The Labour Party leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, said last night this would be illegal and that it was completely unacceptable for a law-maker to be engaged in such activity.
The Green Party called on Mr Foley to resign his Dail seat if the Moriarty tribunal finds he knowingly evaded tax.
The Taoiseach will be pressed in the Dail next week to explain how much he knew about the Moriarty tribunal investigation into Mr Foley before his resignation as vice-chairman of the Dail Public Accounts Committee.
Fine Gael and Labour yesterday demanded to know why Mr Ahern had not asked Mr Foley if he held an Ansbacher account when he met him before Christmas. Fine Gael has tabled a special notice question to Mr Ahern on the matter for Tuesday and Labour is likely to do the same, although the Ceann Comhairle traditionally rules out such questions.
However, Mr Ahern told reporters yesterday he did not suspect Mr Foley was an Ansbacher account holder as his name had not appeared on the Ansbacher list, produced by the authorised officer, Mr Gerard Ryan, who was nominated by the Tanaiste to investigate Ansbacher.
Mr Ahern said Mr Foley told him before Christmas of his intention to resign as vice-chairman of the Public Accounts Committee. Some Government sources suggested last night that Mr Ahern may have asked Mr Foley to resign at their December meeting, but this could not be confirmed last night.
The Taoiseach and the Tanaiste discussed the matter around the same time as Mr Ahern met Mr Foley, a Government spokesman said. There was speculation last night that it was Ms Harney who first told Mr Ahern that Mr Foley was under investigation by the Moriarty tribunal, but this could not be confirmed.
Government sources indicated that Ms Harney was made aware of Mr Foley's pledge to resign in December.
Mr Foley announced his resignation from the vice-chairmanship of the Public Accounts Committee and from the committee itself on Thursday night. He did this after the Moriarty tribunal was told he had admitted holding an Ansbacher account containing some £100,000 at one stage.
Mr Ahern said he had asked Mr Foley to come and see him after he was told he was being investigated by the payments to politicians tribunal. "I asked him to come and meet me to confirm was that true."
During their meeting, according to Mr Ahern, Mr Foley said he was being questioned in relation to investments he had made through Mr Des Traynor, the accountant who managed the Ansbacher deposits in Ireland.
However, Mr Ahern implied that he did not ask him if he was being questioned in connection with Ansbacher. Mr Ahern said he had seen the list of Ansbacher names last summer and Mr Foley's name was not on it.
According to Mr Ahern, Mr Foley said he had had two or more private sessions with the tribunal team. "He said that in line with Fianna Fail policy he was co-operating fully with the tribunal. He told me that he had had his legal and accountancy representatives with him. He assured me that he would continue to deal fully with the tribunal. He told me he believed he would be in public session in the month of February.
"I asked him what was it all about. From my list I knew he wasn't on the Ansbacher list because I had the Ansbacher list since last summer. He said it was related to investments going back I think he said 26 or 28 years when he was involved in the hotel near his house in Tralee, when the accountant who did work for the hotel was Des Traynor, and that he was putting money that he was getting through this business, which was a sideline, that he was putting that in an investment account with Mr Traynor."