The Taoiseach was accused yesterday of "spoofing" about the advice the Attorney General had given him on whether there was a legal impediment to regulating the cost of land for housing development.
The Labour leader, Mr Pat Rabbitte, made the accusation in a row which resulted in Dáil business being suspended for 30 minutes after Fine Gael TD Mr Bernard Allen refused to accept suspension from the House for heckling the Taoiseach.
Mr Ahern had been answering questions about the possibility of a constitutional referendum to contain land prices.
The Labour leader asked why the Taoiseach needed to refer a matter of private property to the Committee on the Constitution.
"What is the point of referring this urgent, immediate issue to an all-party committee that will take a couple of years to report on it?"
He added that if there was a "constitutional impediment" to regulating the cost of land, that was a matter for the Attorney General, and the committee would spend a "couple of years waffling about it".
Accusing the Taoiseach of not being serious about the matter, he said that six or seven developers "hoard all the land" in Dublin and surrounding counties
Earlier Socialist TD Mr Joe Higgins said the "profiteering horse" had "not so much bolted as been running around rezoned fields in Dublin and other areas for five years and is completely out of control".
Mr Ahern said he had referred the issue to the Oireachtas committee in February 2000 in relation to the "personal and property rights aspects of the Constitution".He said Government measures had helped affordability and supply of houses, and construction was close to the maximum from about 35,000 a few years ago to near 60,000.
The Attorney General's advice was that "we will be able to do certain things in line with Part Five of the (planning) Act. It will not be everything, but it is useful in the short-term" and they were using it in the action programme.
Mr Rabbitte said the Taoiseach's remarks did not make sense, and if the Attorney General told the Taoiseach that he was "talking nonsense". Mr Ahern's comments were "complete spoof".
Mr Allen said he could not understand what the Taoiseach was saying. The Ceann Comhairle, Dr Rory O'Hanlon, told him he would have to leave if he did not refrain from comment.
Mr Allen said the Ceann Comhairle was "very touchy", and after further remarks he was suspended. The Fine Gael TD, the party's environment spokesman, said that "when you're listening to that rubbish, you're provoked".
Mr Rabbitte said it was "outrageous", and asked: "Are you suggesting that a TD cannot heckle in this House anymore?"
The Fine Gael leader, Mr Enda Kenny, said it was most unfair to a senior Fine Gael member. Dr O'Hanlon said it was more than heckling, and happened regularly.When Mr Allen refused to leave, the Dáil was suspended and suspended again for another 20 minutes, during which the Cork deputy left the Chamber.
