Mr Michael O'Kennedy has repudiated a suggestion that he should be appointed to the High Court as a quid pro quo for withdrawing from the presidential race.
On the morning the Fianna Fail parliamentary party met to select its candidate, Mr O'Kennedy rang the Taoiseach's programme manager, Mr Gerry Hickey, to confirm that he would contest the nomination and to disown a proposed deal.
Last Tuesday night, when it became clear that the party leadership was massing behind Prof Mary McAleese, one of Mr O'Kennedy's closest supporters is understood to have rung Mr Hickey and suggested that a deal involving a High Court appointment might be considered.
Mr O'Kennedy said yesterday that the approach had been made without his authority or approval. On Wednesday morning, he had rung Mr Hickey to reject the suggestion and to confirm that he would contest the nomination at the parliamentary party. He had also indicated that he would make no attempt to influence his supporters on how they would vote in any second ballot.
The former EU Commissioner also confirmed that he had rung both the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and Mr Dermot Ahern, Minister for Social, Family and Community Affairs, last Tuesday morning, looking for "a signal" in support on his candidature.
At that stage, Mr O'Kennedy believed he could win the nomination against Mr Reynolds if a signal in his favour was forthcoming from the leadership.
By Tuesday afternoon, however, sources close to the Government were quoted in the Evening Herald as saying it was a twohorse race and that Mr O'Kennedy's campaign was foundering.
When Mr O'Kennedy challenged Mr Dermot Ahern on the matter ail and complained about being treated shabbily and having intrigue concealed from him, the former Fianna Fail whip is said to have responded that Mr O'Kennedy had not been asked to contest the nomination.
Mr O'Kennedy was so upset by the heated exchange that he subsequently told a number of senators and TDs that he would withdraw from the race. He left the Dail and went home, where he remained incommunicado for some hours.
Later, Mr O'Kennedy issued a statement to the press saying that his name would go forward.
Contacted yesterday, Mr Hickey recalled that a "passing reference" had been made to a High Court position in a phone call, but he had not responded.
The Taoiseach denied last night he had persuaded Mr Reynolds to run for the Presidency or that he had enticed him to run in the general election by promising him the party presidential nomination.
Mr Ahern said in Cork that when Fianna Fail went back into government in June, Mr Reynolds came to him and told him he was going to run for the Presidency. "He told me he was putting his name forward and I was quite happy with that."
Mr Ahern denied Mr Reynolds was approached to run in this year's general election. Mr Reynolds was always going to contest the general election and the issue of persuading him to do so never arose.
Asked about Mr Philip Reynold's claim that his father had paid the price for removing Charles Haughey from office, Mr Ahern said that issue had not arisen with anyone he had spoken to in the run-up to the nomination vote.
"I hope that had nothing to do with it [the nomination vote] but certainly it had nothing to do with it as far I was concerned," said Mr Ahern.