The scale of the financial wrongdoing by Mr Charles Haughey uncovered by the Moriarty tribunal was "deeply shocking" and an affront to the values of Fianna Fail, the Taoiseach has said.
In his first explicit condemnation of Mr Haughey, Mr Ahern said last night that the former Taoiseach had betrayed the ethos of his party.
"What has emerged from all of this is a deviation from the standards and ethos of Fianna Fail, not just during the period of the founders of the party but at all times in our history. More importantly, it offends against the ethics and integrity of what our party stands for in relation to public institutions of our State."
Speaking in Warsaw during a two-day visit to Poland, Mr Ahern said that he and his Government colleagues were deeply shocked when they heard that Mr Haughey had received £8.5 million in contributions from wealthy supporters.
"In the near future I hope that Mr Haughey, and I'm sure he will, will give a comprehensive account of all he knows about these financial dealings and an explanation of his conduct as a public office holder to Mr Moriarty's tribunal," he said.
A Government source said that the Taoiseach's remarks last night signalled a final emotional break with his former political mentor.
Promising to work with the Opposition to establish "the necessary safeguards", Mr Ahern said he was determined to ensure that "public office can never again be used for personal enrichment". Mr Ahern defended the Government's nomination of Mr Hugh O'Flaherty to the EIB vice-presidency and insisted that he had been chosen on merit.
"Hugh O'Flaherty got into problems last year but he paid an enormous price for it. I think it's reasonable to believe that he would have been Chief Justice of the country for an 11-year period and instead he got the door. In the circumstances, I'm sure that's right," he said.
Mr Ahern dismissed the suggestion that he had allowed the Tanaiste, Ms Harney's, position to be undermined by approving the nomination but he acknowledged that there was public concern at the decision.
"I can understand annoyance. I can understand how people got upset and I just hope that he does a good job," he said.
