Oireachtas

Ahern accused over US trip

The Taoiseach has been accused of going back on a Dail commitment to pay towards the cost of an official trip to New York during…

By MARK BRENNOCK
Thu Nov 25 1999 - 00:00

The Taoiseach has been accused of going back on a Dail commitment to pay towards the cost of an official trip to New York during which he also attended a Fianna Fail fundraising function, saying that he sees no breach of ethics in the matter.

Mr Ahern yesterday rejected calls from the Fine Gael leader that Fianna Fail pay towards the trip which, according to Mr John Bruton, was "a Fianna Fail fundraiser in New York at public expense".

Mr Ahern rejected as "dirty politics" Mr Bruton's suggestion that he had organised official events around the fund-raiser so he could visit New York at public expense.

Two weeks ago, Mr Ahern had told the Dail Fianna Fail would pay a contribution if there was a fund-raising event involved in it.

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ail committee. If the committee raise any money on these occasions, we normally give a contribution towards the costs and we will do that again if this is the case in this instance."

Mr Ahern went to New York from November 11th to 13th. He said yesterday he had met the mayor and governor of New York and the heads of IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, SFADCo, CIE Tours, Aer Lingus and Bord Failte. He also met the Ireland-America Economic Advisory Board, made two speeches and gave a number of interviews.

He attended a fundraising event ail in the US. This, event, which, he said yesterday, was attended by 24 people, about 13 of whom "might have made a subscription". The subscription is believed to have been up to $10,000 per person, but this could not be confirmed last night.

However, yesterday he said he had made that pledge because "I thought that if a Taoiseach attended a party function while abroad, a contribution would have to be made. However, I checked back and such a contribution was never made."

Fianna Fail Minister of State Mr Willie O'Dea has criticised the invitation and acceptance of an invitation to address a Labour Party fund-raiser by EU Commissioner Mr Neil Kinnock.

It is "entirely inappropriate", according to Mr O'Dea, as an EU Commissioner takes an oath on appointment to be above national interests.