Minister for Finance Brian Cowen confirmed today he had held a private meeting with Independent News & Media chief executive Sir Anthony O'Reilly.
Mr Cowen said the meeting was only about Fianna Fáil putting its position formally to "proprietors of newspapers to try and see what way we can make sure that we get our message across".
The Minister was questioned by journalist Vincent Browne during a Fianna Fáil press conference in Dublin.
Mr Browne put it to the Minister that "normally a private meeting would not be a matter of public concern" but given Mr O'Reilly's extensive corporate and media interests, it was a matter of public interest.
"Any meetings that are private are private. And it wasn't [more than] anything only about Fianna Fáil putting our position formally to proprietors of newspapers to try and see what way we can make sure that we get our message across," Mr Cowen said.
He insisted there was "no question" of Mr O'Reilly's corporate interests being discussed.
It had been a discussion about "the future and the election and all the rest of it and preparation for the election in the normal course of events" Mr Cowen said.
Asked what other newspaper proprietors he had met, he said he had not met any. Then asked if Mr O'Reilly had raised any issues about his corporate interests, Mr Cowen said: "No. Not at all."
He said it was simply a question of trying to make sure that the Fianna Fáil party position could be "ably represented in all media outlets".
"Discussions take place all the time with proprietors and presenters and everyone else to try and get that across," Mr Cowen said.