Taoiseach's radio interview:The Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said yesterday that former NCB stockbroker chief executive Padraic O'Connor was a "very good friend" since the early 1990s, despite reports to the contrary.
Asked about reports that an NCB cheque Mr Ahern from Mr O'Connor in the 1990s was meant for the party rather than for himself, Mr Ahern said he has explained his position and so have others.
"Padraic O'Connor is a very good friend of mine, a very good person, somebody who used to give me very good advice back in Finance days and we have both . . . and not just us both but a number of people have given their views and it's a matter for the tribunal to deal with."
Asked about Mahon tribunal transcripts which seem to suggest Mr O'Connor did not consider himself a friend, Mr Ahern said: "He is not a person I meet every night . . . not at all, but I know him a long way back, since the early '90s."
Mr Ahern said in an interview with RTÉ Radio's News at Oneprogramme that there was no question the money was intended for the Fianna Fáil organisation in his constituency.
"We don't believe that and people in my constituency don't believe that and the people that he gave the money to don't believe that. Perhaps there could be some confusion but it certainly wasn't any intentional issue."
Commenting on the controversy over the money received by Celia Larkin from Michael Wall, he said: "I had to go through my records for 20 years and of course when you go through records for 20 years other things arise that has nothing to do with it.
"In my case the records arise about renting a house and then purchasing a house and I have to answer all of these questions," he said.
The Green Party leader Trevor Sargent said the Taoiseach's explanation about the details surrounding his rental and subsequent purchase of his house in Dublin in the 1990s was "Jesuitical" and had failed to answer concerns.
Commenting on Mr Ahern's answers at the Fianna Fáil election manifesto launch, Mr Sargent said he was still not "clear" about the reasons why Manchester-based businessman Michael Wall had given Mr Ahern £30,000stg in late 1994. "There needs to be an unprovoked statement that deals with this issue from top to bottom," he said.
Labour leader Pat Rabbitte said that Mr Ahern's latest remarks about the controversy that has dogged Fianna Fáil's opening election campaign were "quite extraordinary".
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said that the Taoiseach's remarks yesterday about his personal finances were "another in a catalogue of bizarre comments".