The Government last night attempted to bring an end to the controversy created by Mr Eamon O Cuiv's declaration that he voted against the Nice Treaty.
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, yesterday morning had "a long chat" by telephone with Mr O Cuiv, during which the Minister of State offered repeated assurances that he supported the Government's EU policy.
Asked later if he was going to discipline his Minister, Mr Ahern said: "He supported Government policy, he does support Government policy, and of course he did nothing prior to the vote that would in any way influence the vote. In actual fact Corr na Mona, his own local area, was one of the best Yes poster areas put up by Fianna Fail in the country, so he did nothing but be helpful on that."
However, the two appeared to have skirted around Mr O Cuiv's possible stance on any further referendum on the Nice Treaty during their discussions. Government sources last night said that the Taoiseach was not, so far, considering demanding advance pledges of loyalty from ministers before any future referendum campaign began.
Questioned about an RTE Radio 1 interview with Mr O Cuiv that took place after the conversation with the Taoiseach, a Government source said: "He spoke about the Establishment as if he wasn't part of it. He insisted that he supported the Government's policy. He is adamant about that. He doesn't seem to be able to see the conflict between that and what he has done."
Earlier, the Minister for the Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, Ms de Valera, defended Mr O Cuiv, who is her first cousin: "Eamon O Cuiv was very much part of party policy and he went out there and sold the party line and the Government line, and that has to be said."
As an Irish citizen, he had a right to vote "any which way that he feels he wishes to vote", she said. "But he did certainly put forward party and Government policy and for anyone to blur the edges, that is simply unfair to his position."
Asked if she believed he should be disciplined, Ms de Valera said: "I don't think one should be disciplined for fighting for Government policy, which he did. I think that would be a very odd situation," she said.
In remarks to journalists, Mr Ahern said Mr O Cuiv had played such an active part in the Yes campaign, and that must have been difficult for him. "I don't know when he decided to vote No."
The Green TD Mr Trevor Sargent said it would be "unfortunate and unfair" for the Taoiseach "to single out" the Minister of State for declaring that he had voted No in the referendum.
"I believe that any disagreement with Eamon O Cuiv would be a disagreement with a number of other Fianna Fail backbenchers," Mr Sargent said.