The stability of the Coalition Government is again under intense strain over the Taoiseach's decision not to comply with the Tanaiste's request to reveal to the Dail his role in the Philip Sheedy case.
As the focus of Opposition criticism last night switched to the Tanaiste, Ms Harney, for tolerating the Taoiseach's failure for a period of over two weeks to divulge that he had inquired about the possibility of day release for Sheedy, sources in the Progressive Democrats expressed deep unease at what happened. According to the former chairman of the party, Senator John Dardis, it would have been "far better if the Taoiseach had told the Dail the facts of the case".
Though he refused to comment on the stability of the coalition, other party sources said the latest revelations "do not help" and it was "absolutely awful" that the Taoiseach had twice ignored the advice of the Tanaiste and not told the Dail that he had intervened in the case last summer. Ms Harney is said to be "unhappy" at the Taoiseach's refusal to respond positively to her views, though sources in her party said they were surprised that she did not inform the parliamentary party of his involvement. The matter was "extremely embarrassing" to the PDs, one member said.
On July 9th last, the Taoiseach asked his then private secretary, Mr George Shaw, to inquire at the Department of Justice about the possibility of Sheedy - in prison for dangerous driving causing death - being allowed regular day release. Mr Pat Murray, private secretary to the Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, rang back to say the question of day release could not be considered because a review date was in place. The Department did not realise the review date had, in fact, been removed.
A spokesman for the Taoiseach said Mr Ahern had no recollection of who contacted him in relation to the Sheedy case. However, he thought it might have been Sheedy's father, Mr Philip Sheedy senior, but he could not recall speaking to him and had no documentation to support who might have made the representation.
He had made a note and "wrote down the Sheedy name" though he did not know the family. According to his spokesman, that was the end of his involvement because "nothing happened". The Taoiseach was taken aback in early April to be told by his private secretary, Mr Brendan Ward, that a note existed in the Sheedy file in the Department of Justice saying the Taoiseach should be contacted if there was a development in the case. By now, the Chief Justice, Mr Justice Liam Hamilton, was overseeing the investigation that led to the resignation of Mr Justice O'Flaherty, Mr Justice Kelly and the County Registrar, Mr Michael Quinlan. On April 14th, the day the Hamilton report was delivered to the Attorney General, Mr David Byrne, the Taoiseach informed the Tanaiste of his involvement. She suggested the matter should be put on the record of the Dail and repeated this advice when they discussed the matter last Tuesday. Mr Ahern told the Cabinet in passing on the same day that he had initiated contact with the Department of Justice.
Denying that he concealed his representations on behalf of Sheedy, the Taoiseach told reporters in Adare, Co Limerick, that he had informed the Tanaiste "because somebody might misinterpret this", and he would take the opportunity to answer questions "as soon as I could".
"I did that. That is what I had arranged with the Tanaiste. If I had been asked any questions anywhere near it in the Dail the other day, I would of course have done so because I mentioned it in the course of the week to journalists. Of course I mentioned it to my colleagues," he said.
The Minister for Justice said the information had not been revealed because it would be "used by conspiracy theorists as fodder" against the Taoiseach.
The Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, called on Ms Harney to make a statement. ail should not have to wait until Wednesday for "another contrived explanation".
The Labour Party conference passed an emergency motion deploring Mr Ahern's failure to declare his actions in the Dail and demanded a full explanation. However, a Government spokesman said the Taoiseach would not make a statement to the Dail but was prepared to answer parliamentary questions.