Taoiseach Brian Cowen has dismissed a claim by Fianna Fáil Kildare South TD Sean Power that he intends to resign shortly after the budget next month.
Mr Cowen told the Dáil: “I have given no such indication to anybody including deputy Power.”
The issue was raised by Labour leader Eamon Gilmore on the order of business today. He told the Dáil that in an interview earlier today on local radio in Kildare. Mr Power, a well known critic of Mr Cowen, had said the Taoiseach would resign “shortly after the budget is announced in December”.
The Ceann Comhairle said that the order of business was “not about what some deputy says outside the House”.
When he was ruled out of order Mr Gilmore said the resignation of the Taoiseach would be a matter for the order of business. “Deputy Power bases this view on views expressed to him privately by many Ministers.”
Turning to Mr Cowen Mr Gilmore said: “Can I ask you, Taoiseach, is it your intention to resign shortly after the budget?”
The Taoiseach said: “I stand as Taoiseach, and I don’t divest any authority holding that office or in relation to any internal party matter. I stand as leader of Fianna Fáil, and I want to make it very clear that as far as I’m concerned there are democratic processes in our party.
"They’re not relevant to your own situation. We’ll deal with our own business. But I want to assure you that as I stand and as I do my business I do not divest my authority to anyone.”
Pressed further on the matter Mr Cowen said: “I gave no such indication to anybody including Mr Power.”
Mr Cowen also declined to predict a date for the next general election when questioned about it at a press conference in Dublin to launch the government's four-year national recovery plan.