The Taoiseach Bertie Ahern today told Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny that he has always been a "huge" supporter of rules and standards for those in public office.
Mr Ahern was responding to Mr Kenny during leaders questions in the Dáil when he was asked by Mr Kenny why he applied different standards to former Taoiseach Charles Haughey than he did to himself over the reciept of payments.
Continuing his attack on the Taoiseach's evidence to the Mahon tribunal, Mr Kenny reminded Mr Ahern of commentshe made in 1997 in the Dáil about payments to Charles Haughey when he said: "Mr Haughey laid himself open to the possibility that political or financial favours could be sought and returned for such gifts or even be given without being sought."
Despite 18 hours of evidence to the tribunal, there were still questions over Mr Ahern's finances Mr Kenny said.
"It now appears as if the collective culture of this Government - Fianna Fáil, the PDs and the Greens - that it is perfectly acceptable to recieve large cash donations for personal use and that you don't breach any ethical code so long as you don't do anything wrong. I disagree with that concept, absolutely, fundementally," said Mr Kenny.
The Taoiseach replied that he had supported measures brought in in 1995 regarding paymjents recieved by politicians and would have revelaed his own payemnts had those rules been in place in the early nineties.
Mr Ahern said that he had recieved €47,000 in what he considered to be loans and paid back just under €98,000 after interest.
However, Mr Kenny said he found the Taoiseach's reply "distressing" and said that Mr Ahern was in receipt of "serious cash donations" while he was a Minister.
"You moved up to today's value of €300,000 in four major lodgements which you have been unable to explain and that's the problem that I have with you as Taoiseach. That you do not apply the standards that you do to others to yourself," said Mr Kenny.
"Deputy Kenny, I know that one of your spin doctors keeps on saying it's €300,000. It's 48 [€48,000]. It's 48 [€48,000] and I paid back 99 [€99,000], just short of 99 [€99,000]," replied Mr Ahern.