Harney briefing: The Progressive Democrats discussed "every option" at their weekend meeting when they gathered to consider new information in relation to the Taoiseach's finances, Minister for Health Mary Harney said yesterday.
But the former leader of the PDs refused to say if it was her view at that meeting that the PDs should pull out of Government with Fianna Fáil. "I don't think it's fair to say what my view was at any particular moment," she said. "To be quite frank, every option was discussed, that's a fact, that's the truth," she added.
She said there wasn't just one universal view at the meeting. "We are not a party of zombies where we all have the same view on every issue. We did have a meaningful discussion last Saturday. The great pity is we didn't have it perhaps on Friday and we didn't have a day of speculation," she said.
"The leader of the party, the Tánaiste, consulted with his colleagues. I expressed my view as others did. A consensus was agreed and as you know, the Tánaiste on behalf of the party and indeed on behalf of the country has sought clarification and I'm delighted that that clarification will be forthcoming later this week . . . I hope that we can put this issue behind us now."
Asked directly if she has confidence in Mr Ahern, she said: "If I didn't have confidence in the Taoiseach, I wouldn't remain as a member of his Government."
When it was put to her that her party leader would not say if he had confidence in Mr Ahern, Ms Harney said: "Well, he didn't say he didn't have confidence in the Taoiseach, to be fair."
Ms Harney said that she set out in this election to win support for the return of the Government and it remained her ambition to be minister for health in the next government.
Accountability was important, she added, when a party decided whether to participate in government. "And we are going to have accountability and I very much welcome that and it's not accountability for Michael McDowell or Mary Harney or the Progressive Democrats for that matter. It's an issue for the public as we vote in this general election on who should form the next government. These are important matters."
She added that the issue wasn't really coming up on the doorsteps, but this didn't mean it wasn't important.
Earlier, the party's deputy leader, Liz O'Donnell, said in an interview with Downtown Radio in Belfast that Mr McDowell and Mr Ahern had a very constructive conversation on the way to Stormont.
"I think some of the tensions have been removed [ arising] from the weekend activities - it was a stressful time for everyone concerned," Ms O'Donnell said.
"Now the boil has been lanced as it were, in terms of this matter having been agreed now to being made the subject of a comprehensive statement," Ms O'Donnell added.
Ms Harney was speaking at the publication in Dublin of the PDs' policy for older people, which promises to increase the basic State pension to €300 a week by 2012; an SSIA-type pension account under which the State will contribute €1 for every €2 invested, an ombudsman for the elderly and 500 primary care teams to help to meet the needs of the elderly in the community.