The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, denied misleading the House on the spending of Fianna Fail's State allowance ail during Mr Charles Haughey's leadership.

Responding to demands from the Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, and the Labour leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, that he make a Dail statement correcting what they claimed was inaccurate information, he said: "My reply in the Dail on September 4th, 1997, related to the use of the leader's account solely during our time in opposition, from 1982 to 1987, and represented my best assessment of the situation having talked to our administrator, Ms Eileen Foy, at that time."

He added that he had given evidence to the Moriarty tribunal and it was now for the tribunal to determine how both funds paid into the account were used, and if they were used broadly for the purposes intended.