The main Opposition parties are to table a joint motion in the Dail next week questioning the Taoiseach's handling of the controversy surrounding donations to Mr Ray Burke.
The motion, signed by the leaders of Fine Gael, Labour, Democratic Left and the Greens, calls on Mr Ahern to explain why he did not inform either the Dail or the Tanaiste when he learned the true source of money paid to Fianna Fail by Mr Burke.
It also questions the nature of the investigation he carried out before appointing Mr Burke minister for foreign affairs last year.
The Opposition will press the Government to accept a Bill allowing the Dail to amend the terms of reference of a tribunal, enabling the Moriarty and Flood inquiries to consider decisions taken by Mr Burke when he was in government.
A Government spokesman has insisted that new legislation is not needed as the tribunal chairmen already have power to seek a change in their terms of reference.
The Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, said last night that Mr Ahern's admission of his "casual and cursory" reaction last March to the news of the Fitzwilton donation to Mr Burke showed he had no conception of his job as Taoiseach.
??????anaiste and would never have ordered the inquiries taking place today." Meanwhile, Fine Gael's public enterprise spokesman, Mr Ivan Yates, criticised as "disingenuous" a statement from Independent Newspapers and Princes Holdings clarifying the ownership of MMDS licences in 1989. "It is clear that Princes Holdings either held a majority or a minority interest in 18 out of the 29 licences granted in 1989," he said.
In other reaction, the Democratic Left TD, Mr Pat Rabbitte, said the Taoiseach would have a chance to deal with the many outstanding issues surrounding the payments when the all-party motion is taken next Wednesday.
He said that while there were still serious questions to be answered by Mr Burke, the "inept and befuddled" performance of Mr Ahern in the Dail had switched the focus to him. Either he had had too little time to prepare for his Dail appearance or he had been trying to distract from his "totally inadequate" investigation into the allegations.
Mr Rabbitte added that awarding the MMDS licences to Princes Holdings might have a "tenuous" connection to the controversy. "But the circumstances in which the extraordinary letter of comfort, dated February 4th, 1991, was issued by Minister Burke to Mr Joe Hayes, managing director of Independent Newspapers, must be explained by the Taoiseach."
The Socialist Party TD, Mr Joe Higgins, accused all the major parties of covering up an aspect of the controversy surrounding the donations. Fitzwilton had admitted giving funds to all the main parties, he said, and the reality was that companies which gave large donations expected rewards in return. "A political system which is paid large contributions by big business, even if it's done legally, with the businesses receiving favourable consideration in return, is a corrupt system." The Workers' Party said Fianna Fail's attitude to the donations had been amazing. If Mr Ahern could not manage his own party, a spokesman said, "why do we suppose he can manage the country?"
