The root cause of the cost and energy involved in the Mahon tribunal is that there has been no "credible" explanation from Taoiseach Bertie Ahern for the money going through his personal accounts in the early 1990s, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said tonight.
Mr Kenny was speaking in the Dáil on a Fine Gael private members' motion asking the House to reaffirm its confidence in the Mahon inquiry.
Strong exchanges are expected across the floor tonight and tomorrow evening before a vote is taken.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny
The Fine Gael leader said the tribunal was progressing, but not in the way which was to the liking of the Fianna Fáil ministers surrounding the Taoiseach.
He said Fine Gael had been forced to use time in the House to discuss the matter because Mr Ahern "has not been able to provide credible answers" for the movement of significant sums of money through his accounts.
"Up to €300,000 in today's terms moved through personal accounts that he had," Mr Kenny said.
He said "bags of money" had landed on Mr Ahern's desk in Drumcondra.
"That is not the way to do business on behalf of the public," he added.
That was the "root cause" of all the energy, paperwork and cost involved in the tribunal.
Mr Kenny said the Taoiseach had also engaged in another "U-turn" on his finances today, when he said a decision from the Revenue on his tax affairs is not linked to the completion of the Mahon tribunal.
Mr Kenny accused Fianna Fáil of "bullying" its PD and Green Party partners in Government and said neither of the two junior parties could have disagreed with the Fine Gael motion of support for the tribunal.
"This House has an opportunity to support the Fine Gael motion before the house and send a message to the boot boys in Fianna Fail that they will not be allowed to bully an independent tribunal set up by this House," Mr Kenny concluded.
Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore said the Government had agreed the costs of the tribunal and he also said the explanations given by the Taoiseach to the tribunal were not credible.
"It is unacceptable that the financial affairs of one man, even if he is the Taoiseach, paralyse our politics, and leave the affairs of the Irish people neglected. I am sick of the twists and turns, the half explanations, the half-truths and the untruths. I am tired of the fairytales, the crocodile tears, the red herrings and manufactured outrage," he said.
"I cannot ignore the fact that he cannot produce a tax clearance certificate as required by law, and I cannot ignore the fact that he, and his Ministers, are engaged in a concerted campaign to undermine that tribunal."
Putting the Government motion, Minister for the Environment John Gormley said the Government was expressing confidence in the members, mandate and process of the Mahon tribunal.
But he said it did not consider that the tribunal was working appropriately within its terms of reference.
Mr Gormley said a new Bill will provide for more effective operation of all such public inquiries.
The Government motion urges the Tribunal to continue its work and said it looked forward to receiving its report as soon as possible so that the Dáil could debate and deliberate on its findings.
It also condemned the leaking of tribunal documents as a breach of confidentiality and said it infringed the rights of those affected.
The motion also said it supported appropriate actions to investigate such leaks and went on to reaffirm the right of witnesses to engage in confidential correspondence with the tribunal.
The Fine Gael motion was designed to embarrass the three Government parties over their differing attitudes towards the Mahon tribunal. The Government's compromise motion is expected to be voted through tomorrow evening after a lively debate.
Fianna Fáil ministers had attacked the inquiry's "prurient" cross-examination of the Taoiseach's marital separation but the Green Party and the Progressive Democrats both expressed confidence in Mahon's work.
The Dáil debate adjourned at 8.30pm and will conclude tomorrow night.