The interim report of the Dail Committee of Public Accounts investigating unpaid DIRT on bogus non-resident accounts would be given "every priority", the Taoiseach assured the House.
The Attorney General and the Department of Finance would study the report carefully, Mr Ahern said. He suggested the committee chairman, Mr Jim Mitchell (FG, Dublin Central) and his legal adviser should talk directly to the Attorney General.
Mr Emmet Stagg (Labour, Kildare North) thought Mr Mitchell should meet the party whips so the matter could proceed on an agreed basis.
Mr Mitchell agreed it would be useful if he and the committee's legal adviser had the meetings the Taoiseach and Mr Stagg had suggested.
Fine Gael's finance spokesman, Mr Michael Noonan, raised the matter, and asked about the interim report of the Dail Committee of Public Accounts recommending certain legal changes. He asked what arrangements would be put in place to allocate departmental responsibilities to bring about changes in the law. He suggested the Taoiseach call a special Cabinet meeting later in the day or today to give absolute priority to the legislative changes required to allow the committee recommence its hearings.
"The changes are not minor changes. They will require very precise legal examination and priority in the parent departments and in the draftsman's office."
Later, the former minister for industry and commerce, Mr Dessie O'Malley, said "no company in Ireland is more beholden to the State than AIB". "In 1985 it was bailed out on generous terms by the intervention of the then government after its insurance subsidiary failed," he said.
Mr O'Malley, a committee member, said in hindsight "it is a matter of great regret that when the initial bailing-out took place in 1985 the then government did not insist on obtaining shares in AIB to the value of the amount of public money that was put in. If they had, those shares would now be easily worth in excess of £1 billion."
Mr O'Malley welcomed the establishment of a financial regulator to cover all financial institutions and the appointment of the former TD, Mr Michael McDowell SC, to head it.
The Labour party leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, was pleased there was all-party agreement on the motion.
He called for the Revenue Commissioners to be given direct responsibility or "autonomy of operation" to pursue independently and prosecute cases of tax evasion. "There has been widespread anger and disgust at the revelations that up to £100 million was not paid in tax and that the Revenue Commissioners acquiesced," he said.