FINE GAEL leader Enda Kenny claimed the Tánaiste's replies to his Dáil questions made him the Taoiseach's accomplice at the Mahon tribunal.
During sharp exchanges, Mr Kenny told Brian Cowen: "What you said actually makes you an accomplice, an accomplice to the deceit that is emanating from Dublin Castle."
Rounding on Mr Kenny, the Tánaiste said: "I don't need lectures from you on my standards.
"My standards relate to fair play, to hearing the evidence, and they certainly do not relate to people being guilty before being proven innocent."
Mr Cowen said the nature of tribunals of inquiry meant that each isolated exchange could be commented on, and and pored over publicly, and the most outrageous and implausible construction put on them.
"You have decided, in the context of your job, to take over the role of the Revenue Commissioners," said Mr Cowen.
"You have decided that people are not tax compliant. You have made these decisions, when, in fact, they are not in accordance with the facts."
They knew, said Mr Cowen, that the Taoiseach was meeting the requirements of the Standards in Public Office Act, that his evidence continued at the tribunal, and that he was entitled to a fair hearing.
"We appointed people in this House . . . and the terms of reference were adopted for a tribunal of inquiry to come to some conclusions in these matters, in the round, when they hear all the evidence and everything has been tested.
"You have decided, as your political tactic, to come in here in a weekly, and, if possible, in an hourly basis to put your version of events, or those of your self-appointed spokesmen, on the record of this House . . . trying to brandish assertion as fact."
Mr Kenny said he had referred to "facts" as outlined by the Taoiseach himself. "There is a time, Tánaiste, for bluster and a time for quiet truth."
He added that he found Mr Cowen's answer pathetic.
Mr Kenny said what was happening was "very akin in the Ahern era to what happened in the Haughey era . . . large sums of money for personal use . . . and money belonging to the Fianna Fáil party misappropriated for private use".
It was now obvious that what happened "in the Haughey era is being replicated in the Ahern era . . . The sins of the master are replicated by the pupil."
He said Mr Cowen was Mr Ahern's "anointed successor, unassailable in the betting office". The Tánaiste now had an opportunity to remove the paralysis from Government.
Mr Cowen accused Mr Kenny of engaging in bluster, adding that the Fine Gael leader was trying to destroy not only the good name of an individual but a whole party.
Earlier, Mr Kenny said more "dramatic facts" emerged last week from the tribunal, with more accounts and lodgements revealed.
He said assurances given to the Dáil and on RTÉ that Mr Ahern had disclosed all accounts and lodgements were false.
It was now known that assurances given by Mr Ahern prior to the general election that he had no tax issues and that the source of the money could be explained, and that there could be no further donation-revelations, were now demonstrated "to be false and to be patently false".
He wanted to know from Mr Cowen what action he proposed to rectify the situation.
