Fianna Fáil MEP Eoin Ryan this morning expressed his "total confidence" in Bertie Ahern amid allegations surrounding the Taoiseach's personal finances.
In a statement, Mr Ryan said a newspaper report this morning that said he had called for a Fianna Fáil investigation in to Mr Ahern was "both inaccurate and wrong".
He said the report in the Irish Daily Maildid not report that he said the allegations against Mr Ahern were "totally unproven" and should be dealt with by the Mahon tribunal.
Fianna Fail MEP Eoin Ryan
Mr Ryan said comments he made on Sam Smyth's Today FM radio show yesterday were taken "out of context" by the newspaper.
"I have absolute and total confidence in Bertie Ahern TD as leader of the Fianna Fáil party and as Taoiseach of Ireland. This is a man who has brought unprecedented economic prosperity to Ireland, and he has brought peace to our country," his statement said.
Pressure on Mr Ahern is mounting in advance of his appearance at the Mahon tribunal before Christmas.
Mr Ahern has dismissed claims that he gave implicit approval to the National Lottery to enter talks with Manchester businessman Norman Turner about becoming involved in his plans for a casino in Dublin.
Mr Ahern was minister for finance at the time of the talks in the early 1990s and had political responsibility for the lottery.
The contacts did not lead to a formal deal between the lottery and Mr Turner's group Sonas, whose plans for the site of the former Phoenix Park racecourse were backed by US casino firm Ogden.
The rejection of the claims by Mr Ahern's spokesman conflicts with the account of former National Lottery chairman John Hynes, who said last night that he would not have entered talks without implicit approval.
