The Tanaiste and leader of the Progressive Democrats, Ms Harney, has been asked to state whether she received a letter from the man at the centre of allegations involving financial contributions to Mr Ray Burke, offering to give evidence before the new tribunal of inquiry.
The Democratic Left whip, Mr Pat Rabbitte, said that if the newspaper reports were true the decision by the Coalition Government to refuse to have the Burke affair referred to the tribunal was "inexplicable and unforgivable".
Given the stance the Progressive Democrats had adopted to similar allegations in the past, there was an obligation on Ms Harney to let the public know why she was co-operating with Fianna Fail in drawing a discreet veil of silence over the matter.