It was the performance of a political lifetime. The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, got a dig-out from the Drumcondra set when he was in a spot of personal trouble as minister for finance in 1993 and 1994. Unsolicited by him, they did a whip-around to pay off his loan to AIB initially and some others smoothed his financial path later.
He named them all, including Paddy Reilly, who is known as the plasterer, as distinct from Paddy Reilly in the first tranche of payments. He always intended to pay the money back but they would not let him. It was, as it would be for anyone else, a stressful time. He took money from friends. He might have appointed some of them to State boards but he appointed them "because they were friends". Charles J Haughey got millions, Ray Burke and Liam Lawlor, presumably, got thousands. He did not say that Ivor Callely only got a paint job. But, he, Bertie Ahern, got "relatively small contributions".
Let's get back to basics. The Irish Times received an unsolicited and anonymous communication early last week relating to an investigation by the Mahon tribunal into payments of money to Mr Ahern - now Taoiseach - while he was minister for finance in 1993. The tribunal, as Colm Keena's story said last Thursday, was seeking assistance in reconciling certain receipts of funds by Mr Ahern in this period.
The Irish Times knew that sums of between €50,000-€100,000, including cash payments, were being investigated and that the tribunal had been told that the money was being used to pay legal bills at that time. It was Mr Ahern - not The Irish Times - who brought the question of his separation into the public domain.
This story was brought to publication because The Irish Times took the view that the fact that the Taoiseach, when minister for finance, had been paid money to finance his personal life was a matter of public interest. There was a public duty to publish.
On mature reflection this morning, there is an important principle involved. Should a serving minister receive payments from anyone? The alternative government is terrified by the "Teflon Taoiseach".
Enda Kenny has never been accused of anything before a tribunal and Pat Rabbitte received a payment from Frank Dunlop which, after the hiatus of an election campaign, he gave back.
Mr Ahern told the Dáil on September 10th, 1997, during the debate on the McCracken tribunal: "It is quite unacceptable that a member of Dáil Éireann, and in particular a cabinet minister and taoiseach, should be supported in his personal lifestyle by gifts made to him personally." Mr Ahern was supported in his personal lifestyle.
The leader of Fine Gael, Mr Kenny, set out his tests yesterday before the Taoiseach made his statement.
Many politicians have relied, in recent years, on the fact that they did nothing illegal. But there is always the point of moral principle. Where stands the new Tánaiste, Michael McDowell, on this issue?