McDowell reaction:Tánaiste Michael McDowell said yesterday the Taoiseach told him "some time ago" about money given to Celia Larkin to refurbish a house.
"As I understand it the Taoiseach told me some time ago that the man who leased the house to them, under an arrangement when they would lease for a certain period of time and then purchase it from him, financed the upgrading of the home and its fitting out as a home. I have known that for some considerable time and that's an issue I have known about.
"He [the Taoiseach] told me that the landlord of the house had entrusted to Celia Larkin the refurbishment of the house and I knew that, yes," he told TV3 News while on a visit to Newbridge, Co Kildare.
Asked about his reaction to the deferral of the Mahon tribunal, Mr McDowell said it was a matter for the tribunal "to decide its own procedures".
"But I do think when you are trying to get to the bottom of a particular set of allegations that you should operate on the basis that both sides are heard. And what I understand the Mahon Tribunal probably feels that it would be wrong just to put out allegations without giving other people opportunities to comment on them or to refute them."
Mr McDowell said he did not think the revelations were damaging to his party because it had been in Government with Mr Ahern. He said it did not affect the issues in the election.
Mr McDowell said the people had a very clear choice in this election. "Do we proceed on the basis that for the last 10 years we have policies that have brought this country to second best performer in the European Union, or do we change course now and elect a centre-left government which isn't focused on economic prosperity and growth and inward investment?"
He said he was not going to comment on allegations made at the tribunal. He was not here to investigate whether it is right or wrong, he said, "because I believe it was wrong for the Minister for Finance of the day to accept money from friends as he was in a difficult personal situation as regards his own family affairs. That is nothing to do with me. I don't really believe it is a relevant issue to this election. It is certainly not an issue for the people to decide for the next five years."
Mr McDowell denied he ever said he would withdraw from Government if more questions were raised about Mr Ahern's finances. "I didn't ever say that."