A Fianna Fáil councillor has taken full responsibility for a bogus letter sent in the name of the Taoiseach to around 2,000 homes in north Wexford before the local elections urging people to give him their number one voting preference.
Mr Lorcan Allen, who was chairman of Wexford County Council up to last Friday, issued a statement on the controversy following a meeting with Mr Sean Dorgan, general secretary of Fianna Fáil, today.
Mr Allen said he accepted "full responsibility" for the production and distribution of the letter, purporting to be signed by Mr Ahern and posted in Oireachtas envelopes a number of days before the June 11th local election poll.
He apologised unreservedly to Mr Ahern and to his Fianna Fáil colleague Mr Pat Rath and election running mate in the Gorey area, Mr Pat Rath, who was not elected.
In a statement, Mr Allen said the letter had been distributed during the "pressurised atmosphere of an intensive election campaign.
"I confirm that the signature of Mr Bertie Ahern TD was used without his consent or prior knowledge and that neither his staff, nor the staff of Fianna Fáil headquarters, knew anything of this at the time.
"I acknowledge that the use of Oireachtas envelopes to distribute the letter was wrong and confirm that arrangements are being made with the appropriate authorities to reimburse the costs involved," Mr Allen said.
Mr Allen said he was "co-operating fully" with the Fianna Fáil internal investigations into the matter. He said he would not add to the statement in the future.
Fianna Fáil said the misuse of the Taoiseach's signature was "totally unacceptable". "In addition, the misuse of State resources is also to be condemned. We acknowledge and accept Cllr Allen's fulsome apology in respect of these matters and his firm undertaking that there will be no repeat of such activity," a party statement said.
The party said it would immediately communicate with all Fianna Fáil TDs, senators and councillors setting out the strict protocol governing the issuing of letters from the Taoiseach and reminding them of the official regulations with regard to the use, or non-use, of prepaid Oireachtas envelopes.
The letter sent out prior to the election praised Mr Allen's integrity and honesty and urged the electorate to give him a number one preference. It was printed on what purported to be Fianna Fáil-headed notepaper, with the 2002 general election slogan "A lot done, more to do".