The Opposition had attempted to build allegations out of nothing in a malicious attack on the Government, the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs, Mr Ahern, claimed.
He said the Government was built on integrity, and he accused the Fine Gael leader of having a "short memory when it comes to integrity in office".
The Minister outlined the role he played in the investigation about the persistent rumours regarding Mr Burke. He went to London on June 24th where he met Mr Joseph Murphy jnr.
He asked Mr Murphy three questions: 1. Did either he or his father participate in a meeting attended by Mr Burke, a leading builder, and Mr Gogarty during which a large sum of cash or cheque or both was handed over to Mr Burke? 2. If such a sum was handed over was any undertaking given by Mr Burke? 3. Was there any meeting at all between his company and Mr Burke regarding the company's lands?
Mr Murphy "categorically answered no to each of these questions", the Minister told the Dail. Mr Murphy vehemently denied the allegations and stated that he and his company had received constant innuendo and allegations from Mr Gogarty mainly because Mr Gogarty, a former employee, had fallen out with the company over financial arrangements.
Mr Ahern said that Mr Murphy's father had retired from the business in the early 1980s and had been living in Guernsey ever since. His father could not have attended a meeting and probably did not even know Mr Burke.