Minister for Transport Martin Cullen yesterday insisted that the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, had done nothing wrong in accepting stg£8,000 from businessmen in Manchester, writes Barry Roche.
He said that Mr Ahern had the full backing of the Government and would answer any remaining questions about the money today.
Mr Cullen said he had no doubt but that Mr Ahern would continue to enjoy the support of both his colleagues in Government and the Irish people.
"The Taoiseach has always enjoyed the absolute confidence of the Irish people and that's because of his integrity and indeed his high work ethic and tomorrow he will set out and respond to the matters that have been raised over the last few days," he said.
"I've no question in my mind that he will answer them fully," said Mr Cullen, who was speaking to journalists in Watergrasshill, Co Cork, after the opening of a new bypass.
Pressed on whether the Taoiseach was wrong to accept the money in Manchester, Mr Cullen said that the political culture had changed in recent times but Mr Ahern had not done anything wrong by accepting the money. "The matters are clear here - there was no law broken here."