Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny today denied his party is running a pre-election dirty-tricks campaign against the Taoiseach.
Seven-year-old allegations by Opposition MEP Jim Higgins that Bertie Ahern carried a briefcase of cash onto a flight to Manchester in 1996 resurfaced in two weekend newspapers.
However Mr Ahern yesterday strenuously denied the claims and said the only money he ever took to the British city was to pay for an overnight hotel or to buy a ticket to see Manchester United play.
Minister for Health Mary Harney later urged Fine Gael not to smear people in an underhand way as it debased politics. However, Mayo TD Mr Kenny insisted today during a constituency tour of the north east that dirty tricks were not his style.
"I have no interest in smear campaigns," he said. Speaking during visits to Meath East, Meath West and Louth, he added: "These allegations which I read in the papers at the weekend are the subject of information given to a tribunal seven years ago."
Fine Gael MEP Mr Higgins gave the information to the Mahon Tribunal in 2000 which he said came from Mr Ahern's driver while he was Finance Minister in the early 1990s.
The driver said he looked into a briefcase in the ministerial car and saw wads of cash. Mr Ahern later carried the case through the VIP lounge at Dublin Airport en route to Manchester.
But Mr Ahern insisted yesterday: "I never took any money to Manchester in a case. Whatever money I took to Manchester was to get me an overnight in Manchester or to pay for my ticket - if I didn't get it for free - to see Manchester United play."
Mr Kenny was accompanied on today's constituency tours by local TDs Damien English, Shane McEntee, Fergus O'Dowd and Ireland East MEP Mairead McGuinness.
Local candidates GAA footballer Graham Geraghty, Cllr Jim D'Arcy, Regina Doherty, Graham Geraghty and Cllr Peter Higgins.
Mr Kenny visited Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda and met with the Louth Hospital Campaign Group. His tour included walkabouts in Dundalk, Ardee, Drogheda, Kells, Trim and Navan. It emerged last autumn that Mr Ahern accepted IR£8,000 from a whip-round by businessmen at a function in Manchester in 1994.
Ms Harney appealed to Fine Gael not to use the general election campaign to smear the Taoiseach and others in an underhand way because it debased politics.
"I hope we're not going to see that kind of politics. The people don't want it. It debases political life in Ireland if we're going to resort to smears and innuendo. Let's concentrate on the issues, that's what the people want us to do. "I certainly hope - and I would appeal to Fine Gael - not to continue with efforts to smear people in a very unfair and underhand fashion."