Taoiseach Bertie Ahern operates to the highest possible ethical standards and will not suffer a negative judgment by the Mahon tribunal, Ireland's European Commissioner Charlie McCreevy has said.
"All I can say is that I served with Bertie a long time with him in government. I was his minister for finance, or the opposition spokesperson for him in finance, and I found him to operate to the highest possible standards and I have absolute faith in him," he told TV3's The Political Party.
"I don't anticipate that the tribunal will make any adverse findings against Bertie Ahern. I don't follow it with great detail that everyone here would, I'm sure, but I don't anticipate that there will be any adverse findings about Bertie Ahern," he told the programme.
Mr McCreevy refused to answer if he would have taken cash payments from businessmen after talking to them over dinner, on the grounds that "by answering that particular question, whatever slant will be put on it, there will be implied criticism of Bertie".
"No one ever offered me any cash payments, at any dinner. I was never offered any in any event," said Mr McCreevy, who serves as internal market commissioner.
Questioned about Mr Ahern's future career options, Mr McCreevy said he would be suitable for any one of three posts that will become available in Brussels in 2009.
Mr McCreevy's term in office ends that year, while two new jobs will have to be filled: a new position of president of the EU council and a de facto EU foreign minister, titled special higher representative.
The Irish commissioner's job is within the Irish Government's gift, but the others would require agreement among member states.
Meanwhile, Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey has treated with scorn an allegation by broadcaster Eamon Dunphy, who has privately told the Mahon tribunal that Cork developer Owen O'Callaghan told him during the early 1990s that he, O'Callaghan, had given £80,000 to Mr Ahern in return for a tax designation on a site in Athlone.
"It's a classic example of 'dúirt bean liom go ndúirt bean leí'. It's a question of your man told me your man said - and the other fella said something else. It is a lot of nonsense."
Mr Dunphy is listed on the tribunal's website as a witness due to be called during the current Quarryvale module.
