Tánaiste Michael McDowell said he had nothing to add to his "carefully considered, balanced and measured" comments on the payments to the Taoiseach from a group of businessmen in Manchester in 1994.
Mr McDowell told reporters at the National Ploughing Championships in Carlow: "I've said everything I want to say on this subject yesterday. I don't propose to amplify or detract from it in any way, and I don't propose to add to it."
The Tanaiste Michael McDowell
Asked whether he thought the coalition could survive the controversy, Mr McDowell said: "The PDs committed to government and to governing in accordance with our programme for government, and I've no doubt that the people of Ireland want us to do that with Fianna Fáil."
However his colleague and part president Tom Parlon today echoed concerns expressed by Mr McDowell yesterday.
Mr Parlon, who is Minister of State at the Department of Finance said: "I do believe, to whatever extent, he [Mr Ahern] is compromised. Like Michael McDowell said, I feel that he has very serious questions to answer."
Earlier Fianna Fáil TD for Carlow/Kilkenny, MJ Nolan said Mr Ahern's failure to pay back €50,000 given to him by friends around the same was problematic.
"He did compromise himself by not making an effort to repay the loansm" Mr Nolan said. "I think it's not in anybody's interests that a member of Government should be beholden to anybody," he added. Mr Nolan was one of four rebel TDs who tabled a motion of no confidence in former Taoiseach Charles Haughey in 1991.
Earlier, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern said he was surprised at Michael McDowell's concerns.
"I'm somewhat surprised that the Manchester payment was an issue yesterday, whereas 24 hours previously when it was in the Dáil it didn't seem to be an issue," he said.
Mr Ahern rigorously defended the Taoiseach, saying he had broken no guidelines in accepting money from personal friends.
"We are human beings. Are we getting so puritanical that none of us are allowed to have personal friends?" he said.
Minister for Finance Brian Cowen has also strongly defended the Taoiseach over his receipt of £8,000 from a group of Manchester businessman in 1994. He dismissed suggestions of corruption and insisted Mr Ahern broke no ministerial codes of ethics.
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Mr Cowen, the Fianna Fáil deputy leader, said this morning he believed Mr Ahern would able to fully answer all the questions posed by the Tánaiste in the Dáil next week.
"The Taoiseach has said the Dáil will be forum in which he will seek to account for these matters," he said, adding that there is no evidence whatsoever of anything corrupt about Mr Ahern's receipt of the money.
"There is no question of anything dishonest or corrupt happening here whatsoever. It does not become anybody to involve themselves in that speculation," Mr Cowen said.
"Where is there any evidence to suggest that he compromised the performance of his public duties?" he asked.
The money was unsolicited, and Mr Ahern was speaking in Manchester in a personal capacity, rather than in his role as a Government minister, the Minister said.
In addition, there were no formal guidelines in place in 1993, as there are now, in relation to the acceptance of gifts by ministers, Mr Cowen insisted.
Fine Gael finance spokesman Richard Bruton argued that the Taoiseach has not yet provided credible answers and "appears to have breached proper codes in relation to ministerial conduct".
He complained this morning that the Dáil was "repeatedly frustrated" this week in efforts by the Opposition to have Mr Ahern answer questions.
It is understood the Taoiseach revealed the existence of the Manchester money because he believed The Irish Times had information about it but was unable to publish the details.