The Tanaiste has suggested a cloud remains over the EU Commissioner, Mr Padraig Flynn.

Commenting on the Taoiseach's Dail statement about the Commissioner, Ms Harney said she wished the uncertainty would not continue.

Meanwhile, the Fine Gael front bench postponed a decision on whether to table a private members' motion censuring, or expressing no confidence in, Mr Flynn.

In a statement yesterday the front bench said it had serious doubts about the legal reasons offered by the Commissioner to the Taoiseach for refusing to provide information to the Dail. The party's lawyers will be seeking a meeting with the Flood tribunal today to establish the nature of the legal advice offered to Mr Flynn, the statement added.

Mixed views were expressed by members of the parliamentary Labour Party yesterday on the wisdom of further pursuing Mr Flynn in the Dail when EU negotiations of national interest were taking place.

Ms Harney told RTE "a cloud remains and I regret very much that that cloud still does remain". She accepted what the Commissioner had said, that he had been asked by the Flood tribunal not to make any public comment. "It is a pity that the comments were made on The Late Late Show a number of weeks ago", she added.

She continued that ail had spoken. there was nothing more the Dail could do. The Commissioner had been nominated by Ireland. He was not accountable to the Dail but to the European Parliament.

The Oireachtas had established an inquiry. She hoped those inquiries, which were under way, could report quickly. "It is important that these matters are clarified," the Tanaiste said.