Senior Fianna Fáil figure Mary O'Rourke has described criticisms of the Taoiseach's tax affairs by the Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny as "treasonous".
Speaking on Newstalk's Breakfast Showthis morning the TD and chairwoman of the Joint Committee on the Constitutional Amendment on Children criticised Mr Kenny for calling on the Taoiseach to resign before the "facts are unearthed and the facts are between the tax authorities and the tribunal".
Ms O'Rourke said she could not "believe a leader of a very proud party called Fine Gael committed such a disloyal treasonous act".
"He's [The Taoiseach] doing business for Ireland, he's flying the flag and yet Enda Kenny cooked up and came out with this statement last Saturday, knowing full well that the Taoiseach was going to Africa on Sunday and that he would be just hitting it as he was going."
"What has enraged me, absolutely enraged me is the idea that you could commit such an act of treason that you would seek to pull him down while he is away doing the government's business," she said.
Ms O'Rourke said she did not like the constant sniping at the Mahon tribunal and said that members of the Oireachtas had a duty to allow it continue its work.
"I do agree that of course we want to get it done as quickly as possible none more so than all of us in our party."
She also denied that the party was blindly standing by the Taoiseach. "Bertie Ahern will know, he will know quite well himself, if and when the time will come that he should depart. That time hasn't come. We don't want him to go, he is necessary as Taoiseach of the country."