Labour and Fine Gael have said a statement issued by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in relation to his tax affairs do not address key issues.
The Labour Party accused Mr Ahern of a "desperate attempt" to divert attention from what she said were "gaping holes" in his evidence to the Mahon tribunal following Mr Ahern's attack on the tribunal in an interview today.
Labour Party deputy leader Joan Burton said Mr Ahern's attack, which she said echoed similar comments made by government ministers before Christmas, was clearly part of a concerted effort, "decided at governmental level", to try to undermine the tribunal.
Senator Eugene Regan, Fine Gael
"The planning tribunal was established by the Dáil and it is now clearly essential that the Dáil should be given an opportunity to reaffirm its confidence in the tribunal, as soon as possible after the resumption at the end of this month," Ms Burton said.
Mr Ahern said in the interview that the tribunal's questioning of him in December was "prurient" and that it had nothing to do with the allegations supposedly being examined.
"The basis of Mr Ahern's attacks is unfounded. The tribunal clearly had to ask him some questions relating to his personal life as, when details of these payments first emerged in September 2006, it was claimed that they were to help him cope with the financial consequences of his marital break-up. However, we know now from Mr. Ahern's own testimony to the tribunal that he had very considerable other financial resources at the time," Ms Burton said.
"Given the details given by Mr Ahern's tax advisers to the Revenue Commissioners and comparing these with accounts given by him to the Dail and in his RTÉ interview [in September 2006], it is difficult to reach any conclusion other than that a deliberate attempt was made to mislead the Dáil and the public in regard to his tax status," she said.
Fine Gael spokesman, Senator Eugene Regan said the Taoiseach's statement about his personal finances was "self-serving" and that it "dodged the key issues he should be addressing".
"The Taoiseach does not explain why he misled the Irish people and the Dáil about his tax affairs in 2006 and refused in the Dáil as recently as September 26th 2007 to correct the record," he said.
Nor did he explain why "15 months after the Revenue initiated contact with him about tax liabilities, he still does not have a tax clearance certificate".
"Time and again the tribunal has explained that, in the course of its investigations into allegations of large sums of money being paid to Mr Ahern by a property developer, it uncovered large lodgements (€300,000 in today's terms) into his accounts or accounts operated for his benefit.
"If the Taoiseach had put forward a credible explanation for these lodgements, we would not need tribunal hearings. The chairman has also said that Mr Ahern is being treated no differently to any other witness.
"When the Dáil and Seanad return, Fine Gael will give these same Ministers and all Fianna Fáil, Green and PD Oireachtas representatives the opportunity to vote on a motion reaffirming the confidence of the Oireachtas in the independence and integrity of the Mahon tribunal."