The Tanaiste, Ms Harney, has been accused by the Opposition of abusing her position by using an Air Corps aircraft to fly to Sligo for the opening of a friend's off-licence last month.
Fine Gael's spokesman on enterprise, trade and employment, Mr Charles Flanagan said, Ms Harney's "dash to the West" to open the off-licence in Manorhamilton, Co Leitrim, mirrored the arrogance of Fianna Fáil.
"For many years the Progressive Democrats flaunted themselves as icons of probity and standard bearers of all that is pure in Irish politics. The questionable use of taxpayers' money by the Tanaiste to fly herself and her husband to Leitrim on a CASA aircraft normally used for fisheries patrol contrasts sharply with the stance of herself and her party in opposition," he said.
But a spokesman for Ms Harney emphasised this was a Ministerial visit which had been listed in Ms Harney's Departmental diary. It had been necessary to fly because she had a series of Ministerial engagements in Dublin that day and would not have got to Manorhamilton on time had she travelled by car. It was a significant local event, he said, and while there she had met with eight representatives of community organisations and local businesses.
He said an hour-long flight on a CASA cost €900. The flight to Sligo took 50 minutes each way, which meant a total cost of €1,500 for the return trip. The figures were confirmed by a Department of Defence spokesman.
Ms Harney, accompanied by her husband, Mr Brian Geoghegan, performed the official opening of an off-licence owned by an old friend of hers Mr Fergus O'Hagan. Mr O'Hagan said yesterday that Ms Harney was very much aware that Leitrim had been virtually ignored. "She emphasised to me that she would not come down unless she was in a position to meet all these people," he said.
But Labour senator Mr Joe Costello said the trip constituted a serious abuse of office on her part. "The use by Government ministers of Air Corps aircraft requires the approval of the Taoiseach's Office¨, and if this was forthcoming it points to a serious error of judgment on the part of Bertie Ahern's Department."
One could imagine, he said, the furore that Fianna Fáil and the PDs would have created had there been a similar misuse of Air Corps transport by any minister in the rainbow government."
Labour fully acknowledged, said Mr Costello, the demands placed on Government Ministers and it was not unreasonable that air transport should be available in order to allow them to fulfil official engagements appropriate to their office.
"However, we would suggest that the opening of an off-licence does not fall into this category and we do not believe that most taxpayers would regard it as an appropriate way to spend their money."