New questions are being posed to the Taoiseach and the Tanaiste about their knowledge of payments made to Mr Ray Burke before his appointment to the Cabinet in 1997.
This follows the appearance by the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs, Mr Dermot Ahern, at the Flood Tribunal yesterday when new information about the role played by Mr Bertie Ahern, Ms Harney, and Mr Ahern himself in the investigation into planning allegations against Mr Burke was revealed.
It emerged that the incoming Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, telephoned the builder, Mr Michael Bailey, at the same time Mr Dermot Ahern was interviewing Mr Joseph Murphy jnr in London, two days before the Cabinet was formed. It was indicated last night this was done to ensure it would not be possible for the two men to speak to each other in advance about the enquiries being made about Mr Burke.
In a development that will cause tensions among Ministers, it also emerged that the Taoiseach did not make Mr Ahern aware of this parallel inquiry.
The Tanaiste is expected to deny the claim that she asked for Mr Joseph Murphy jnr's telephone number when she gives evidence to the tribunal. Ms Harney, who is likely to appear tomorrow, is expected to say she did not conduct her own investigation into Mr Burke, but that she simply passed on to Mr Bertie Ahern an unconfirmed story she had heard that Mr Burke had received a £60,000 payment.
Mr Dermot Ahern told the tribunal yesterday that Ms Harney was told by a director of the Murphy group, Mr Gay Grehan, that a £60,000 payment had been made to Mr Burke in return for obtaining a planning permission on the Murphy lands in north Dublin and that this had been obtained. Mr Grehan's wife, Dr Mary Grehan, is a former general election candidate for the Progressive Democrats.
Under cross-examination by Mr Garrett Cooney SC, for the Murphy group, Mr Dermot Ahern said he had no recollection of talking to Mr Murphy by phone several months later, on September 10th 1997, the day Mr Burke made a statement to the Dail on the payment he received from the Murphy group.
However, Mr Cooney says he will produce telephone logs to show the call took place. He further claimed Mr Dermot Ahern was looking for "ammunition" from Mr Murphy in the form of details of political donations by Murphys to Opposition parties.
Mr Cooney pointed out that five days previously Mr Dermot Ahern appeared on RTE television, where he said he had not spoken to Mr Murphy since the meeting in London. He also said Mr Murphy told Mr Ahern during this phone conversation that Murphys had tracked down cheques for £20,000 and £10,000 which were paid to Mr Burke.
Mr Ahern said he couldn't recollect this. He could "categorically state" the first he heard of cheques paid by Murphys was when he read the media reports of the tribunal proceedings.
However, Mr Cooney pointed out that the information about the cheques was contained in Mr Burke's speech made on the same day. It was simply not credible for a politician of Mr Ahern's experience not to remember.
The Minister for the Environment, Mr Dempsey, denied the suggestion made to the tribunal yesterday that he interviewed Mr Michael Bailey prior to the formation of the Government in relation to matters which were currently the subject of investigation. "There is no foundation whatsoever to this suggestion", he said.