A Fianna Fail legal team will today seek to go before the Moriarty tribunal to answer accusations that the party withheld vital information on party donations.
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, will also be recalled to give evidence to the tribunal tomorrow or on Friday concerning his knowledge of a 1996 internal Fianna Fail inquiry into a £100,000 payment to Mr Charles Haughey from Mr Mark Kavanagh, a multi-millionaire property developer.
Last night both Government parties attempted to put a brave face on yesterday's revelations by tribunal lawyers that details of a second list of donations had not been disclosed to the tribunal until last week.
It is understood, however, that details of both lists were given by Fianna Fail to the separate Flood tribunal last month. Fianna Fail's legal team will today attempt to reaffirm its co-operation with both inquiries.
While a PD spokesman said that the matter was one for Fianna Fail and the tribunal, it was clear in the Dail yesterday that there was a distancing in the relationship between Mr Ahern and the Tanaiste. While Ms Harney came into the chamber for two votes, she declined to take her seat beside the Taoiseach. The PD Minister of State, Ms Liz O'Donnell, and the former PD leader, Mr Des O'Malley, also sat away from their Government colleagues.
The Opposition parties told the Dail last night that the latest Moriarty revelations raised the most serious questions about Mr Ahern's conduct in regard to the tribunals. On January 27th 1999 he had said in the Dail that the work of the tribunals would continue to have his "full support and co-operation and that of the Government".
The Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, called on Mr Ahern not to adjourn the Dail on Friday for a three-month recess.
"The revelations in the Moriarty tribunal today go to the very highest level in Government", Mr Bruton said. "There are political as well as legal issues of accountability to be resolved. While legal issues can be resolved in tribunals or courts, political issues can only be resolved here on the floor of Dail Eireann."
The Labour Party leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, said it now appeared that the Taoiseach was not living up to his words, with lawyers for the tribunal saying that Fianna Fail had withheld crucial information on donations.
The tribunal heard yesterday that Mr Kavanagh, chairman of the Dublin Custom House Docks Development Co Ltd, met Mr Haughey in his Kinsealy home on the morning of the general election in 1989 and handed him £100,000.
Mr Kavanagh never received a receipt for the payment and mentioned this fact to Mr Eoin Ryan snr in 1996. Mr Ryan in turn mentioned this to Mr Ahern and Mr Ahern raised the matter with the then financial controller of the party, Mr Sean Fleming, who is now a TD. However, up to this stage no amount was mentioned.
Mr Fleming said yesterday that Mr Ahern asked him if a contribution had been made by Mr Kavanagh and if a receipt had been issued. Mr Fleming said he believed he most likely told Mr Ahern of the amount involved, which the party books showed to be £25,000.
Mr Ahern shortly afterwards met Mr Kavanagh in his [Mr Kavanagh's] Dublin office. Mr Ahern apologised for the fact that Mr Kavanagh had not received a receipt in 1989, but no figure was mentioned, according to Mr Kavanagh. He then gave Mr Ahern another donation, this time £50,000.
The Taoiseach is expected to agree with these versions of what happened. He may also be asked for his knowledge about the fact that up to last week vital documents concerning donations to Fianna Fail had not been given to the tribunal.
The documents include a list of donations compiled by Mr Fleming for which receipts were given to Mr Haughey rather than to the donors, at Mr Haughey's request.
They also include background documentation which in some instances identifies the sources of substantial donations entered in the party books as anonymous.