There were heated exchanges between the Labour leader and the Ceann Comhairle when the deal between the State and the religious orders on compensation for those abused in religions institutions was again raised.
Mr Pat Rabbitte claimed that the Taoiseach had "deliberately misled" the House on major matters regarding the deal. Demanding that he withdraw the remark, Dr Rory O'Hanlon said: "If you have an allegation of that nature to make, it can only be made by substantive motion."
Mr Rabbitte replied: "With the full sense of consciousness about what I am doing, sir, I am claiming precisely that, and the facts would not allow me to draw any other conclusion."
As Dr O'Hanlon continued to insist that the remark be withdrawn, Mr Rabbitte said he had never been harassed by any of the Ceann Comhairle's predecessors in a similar fashion.
"The deputy is not being harassed. The chair has been more than lenient in allowing you to discuss the matter at all," he added.
After some further exchanges, Mr Rabbitte withdrew the word "deliberately," adding: "What I have said, sir, is that the objective fact is that the Taoiseach misled the House and I am prepared, in deference to your persistence, to leave it at that."
Mr Rabbitte said it was now known from both the Comptroller and Auditor General's report and from the then Attorney General, Mr McDowell, that the Taoiseach's statement in February that the "AG and his office was involved throughout the entire period" was untrue.
Mr Ahern said he had already given the quote he made to the House in February, when he had made it absolutely clear that there were meetings. "As far as I recall from looking at the record last week, there were 16 meetings in all," he added. "The then Attorney General was involved in 12 of the meetings and was not involved in four of them."
