Conflicting stories from Ahern and Harney likely to have serious consequences
Statement by Green Party Chairman John Gormley TD:
“The very apparent conflict that has emerged between the Taoiseach and former Tánaiste Mary Harney in relation to the latter’s prior knowledge of loans given to the Taoiseach, is the most serious crisis yet for the coalition partners. It is also a real test of the Progressive Democrats’ mettle.
“In former times Des O’Malley would immediately have called on the Fianna Fail party to issue clarification and an apology. If Mary Harney believes that the Taoiseach misled Dáil Éireann when he suggested they she knew about his loan arrangements, then both she and Michael McDowell should immediately call on Bertie Ahern to make a retraction. To do otherwise would be to emphasise the PDs’ growing irrelevance and confirm once and for all that the slogan ’single party government: no thanks’ has become meaningless.
“It looks likely that there are two strains of thought within the PDs on this issue. One, led by Michael McDowell, wants to continue in office at any cost. But it would seem there are others within the party, however, who find the Taoiseach’s stories less and less credible and believe this, consequently, is making the PDs less and less credible as a political entity.
“The Green Party calls on Michael McDowell to make a full statement clarifying where the PDs stand on this defining issue.”