The crisis in the Coalition Government over the Taoiseach's acceptance of payments in 1993 and 1994 eased last night following the Progressive Democrats' acceptance of his explanation to the Dáil. Mr Ahern admitted his actions were "an error and a misjudgment", but he consistently refused to bow to Opposition demands to accept that his actions were wrong, writes Mark Hennessy, Political Correspondent.
Following an hour-long meeting, the Progressive Democrats' Parliamentary Party "unanimously" agreed that Mr Ahern "is not unfit to continue in office as Taoiseach".
Despite constant pressure from the Opposition, Mr Ahern said he was unable to identify "with certainty" the businessmen who gave him stg£8,000 in Manchester in September 1994.
"It was not illegal or impermissible to have done what I did but I now regret the choices I made in those difficult and dark times," he told a crowded Dail. "The bewilderment caused to the public about recent revelations has been deeply upsetting for me and others near and dear to me. To them, the Irish people and to this House, I offer my apologies," he said.
His 15-minute speech was applauded by Tánaiste and Progressive Democrats leader Michael McDowell, though other PD TDs, including former tánaiste Mary Harney, did not do so. Fianna Fáil TDs were delighted by Mr Ahern's performance, claiming he had seen off Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, Labour leader Pat Rabbitte and other Opposition leaders.
Asked if Mr Ahern had been right to accept the Manchester money, Mr McDowell, speaking outside the Dáil, said: "I believe it was not right and I believe it was a serious error of judgment for him to do it. I believe he has apologised to the Irish people for so doing, and I believe that that apology was owing to the Irish people for that error of judgment.
Saying the issue is not finished, Fine Gael and Labour said Mr Ahern had failed to explain how he had saved IR£50,000 during the years when he was separating from his wife. The Fine Gael frontbench will meet this morning to discuss their future actions, including the possibility of putting down a motion of no confidence.
Mr McDowell said he believed Mr Ahern would in time "be able to reconstitute the list of people who were present on that occasion with some degree of accuracy". But on the basis of the information that was available to him he was unwilling to state as facts on the record of Dail Éireann things about which he remained unsure, Mr McDowell said.
Mr Ahern and Mr McDowell met before yesterday's Cabinet meeting, where the two agreed the text of the statement made by the Taoiseach at the opening of yesterday's debate. Tensions among some PDs rose in the hours before the debate because of the decision by Mr McDowell not to brief colleagues before the much-awaited Dáil encounter.
However, Mr McDowell was not criticised by any colleagues when the parliamentary party met later: "What else could we do? We were between a rock and a hard place," one source said. Attacking the Opposition, the PD leader said: "It is childish and babyish to say that we should walk off the pitch while they are unwilling to say that (Mr Ahern) was not unfit to continue. Ethics cuts both ways. Some of the people there today will have a lot of answering to do in a couple of months' time when the second report of the Moriarty tribunal is published," he said.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said Mr Ahern's "self-serving conduct" and Mr McDowell's acceptance of it had shown that they had "lost their moral authority". The party's spokesman on finance Richard Bruton said last night that Mr Ahern and the Government should resign. "You cannot accept such money as a minister . . .That is not an acceptable standard," he told RTÉ's Prime Time.
Meanwhile, the planning tribunal is to deliver its judgment tomorrow on the publication by The Irish Times of information from confidential papers detailing payments to Mr Ahern. The hearing, originally scheduled for today, will take place at 2 pm tomorrow.