In the debate on the motion of no confidence in the Taoiseach last September, the Tánaiste made great play of political loyalty and how important it is to him. That loyalty led the Tánaiste and his colleagues in Fianna Fáil to support Deputy Bertie Ahern as Taoiseach in September, despite the evidence that he had received large amounts of money for personal use, that he had not been co-operative with the Mahon tribunal and that he had not given a credible explanation for the source of these funds. Since September, the tribunal's work has continued, despite criticism from Fianna Fáil Ministers and an attack from the Taoiseach's legal team.

Last Thursday, as the Tánaiste is aware, more dramatic facts emerged from the tribunal. Fact — more accounts with more lodgements were revealed and assurances given to the Dáil and on RTE that the Taoiseach had disclosed all accounts and all lodgements were shown to be false. Fact — the Taoiseach admitted to getting a gift of money when Minister for Finance and not declaring it to the Revenue Commissioners or paying tax on it. Fact — £30,000 donated or collected by Fianna Fáil personnel for the Fianna Fáil Party was used for the purchase of a house. Fact — this money was only refunded after the tribunal had uncovered its existence. These are not tribunal conclusions; these are facts contained in the transcripts of the tribunal. They are set out in black and white for anybody to read.

Given that the assurances given by the Taoiseach, Deputy Ahern, to the nation prior to the general election that he had no tax issues, that the source of all these monies could be explained and that no further donation revelations were due have been demonstrated to be patently false, I want to know from the Tánaiste, as deputy leader of the Government and Minister for Finance, what action he proposes to rectify the situation and remove the paralysis from Government.

A couple of weeks ago, the House urged the Mahon tribunal to complete its work on the basis of the confidence we had in it to fulfil its mandate. It goes without saying that such confidence is based on the expectation that the tribunal will operate fairly and with full regard to the rights of all relevant parties. It is in the nature of tribunals of inquiry to structure evidence and to examine witnesses on a sequential basis. In the absence of normal sub judice rules, each isolated exchange can be commented on and pored over publicly and the most outrageous and implausible construction put on it. Deputy Kenny has decided in the context of his job to take over the role of the Revenue Commissioners, he has decided that people are not tax compliant and he has made these decisions when they are not in accordance with the facts.

The Taoiseach is meeting the requirements of the Standards in Public Office Act — we know this to be the case. We know his evidence continues. We know he is entitled to a fair hearing. This House, in the terms of reference that were adopted for the tribunal of inquiry, appointed people to come to conclusions on these matters in the round when they have heard all the evidence and everything has been tested. Deputy Kenny has decided, as his political tactic, to come to the House on a weekly, if possible hourly, basis to put his version of events, or that of his self-appointed spokesman, on the record of this House in trying to brandish assertion as fact. With all due respect to Deputy Kenny, we will await the outcome of the tribunal of inquiry. We will await its hearing of all the evidence. I do not need lectures from Deputy Kenny on my standards. My standards relate to fair play and the hearing of the evidence. They certainly do not relate to people being guilty before being proven innocent.

I referred strictly to facts and not conclusions of the tribunal — facts as outlined from the mouth of the Taoiseach himself in the tribunal.

There is a time for bluster and a time for quiet truth. I find the answer the Tánaiste has given pathetic. I also find it pathetic that the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance stands over all these matters. What the Tánaiste said actually makes him an accomplice to the deceit disseminating from Dublin Castle. That is what the Tánaiste is saying now.

Hear, hear.

It has emerged in recent days at the tribunal — the evidence is very clear — that what is happening now in the Ahern era is very akin to what happened in the Haughey era. I refer to large sums of money for personal use, non-payment of taxes and money belonging to the Fianna Fáil Party misappropriated for private use. That is the standard. It is now perfectly obvious that what happened in the Haughey era is being replicated in the Ahern era. The sins of the master are replicated by the pupil.

I have listened to a lot of rhetoric and lectures from the Tánaiste to the Green Party and everybody else about clearing things up, how the old ways are gone, never to return, and things are as they should be. If that is the case, as the anointed successor to the Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern, unassailable in the betting office, the Tánaiste's hour has come. An opportunity now presents itself to remove this paralysis from Government and deal with it with a sense of leadership and courage instead of collusion and weakness.

Hear, hear.

The Tánaiste is the deputy leader of the Government. It is his responsibility to deal with the situation, where he can say enough is enough, that we do not want to continue with a situation where the people of Ireland have to sit and endure the sad spectacle of the Taoiseach of the land being decimated by his own words in front of a tribunal of inquiry set up by this House. Now is the Tánaiste's opportunity to demonstrate that political loyalty is fine and well but there is a time when public duty and the good of the people have to be put first. The choice is the Tánaiste's. If he does nothing, he condones these standards and he becomes an accomplice. His leadership would then be epitomised by weakness and collusion instead of leadership and courage.

In the interests of the Irish people, before the next avalanche of damning evidence comes from this tribunal, I urge the Tánaiste to go to the Taoiseach on his return and tell him that the time has come for him to move on, and for the Tánaiste, if he is the one who is chosen by his party, to restore a Government that is concentrating on working in the interests of the people and the challenges our nation faces. I would like to hear the Tánaiste's response as to what he intends to do.

Hear, hear.

The bluster is very much on Deputy Kenny's side of the House in terms of the game he is playing. The game he is trying to play is not only to try to destroy the good name of one individual, but to try to destroy the good name of a whole party——

We heard that before about Ray Burke.

We heard that before.

——whom he failed to beat on the electoral field on a number of occasions. I see a few of the hyenas are in to make sure I cannot get my point across.

Haughey proved the point.

The point I make to the Deputy is simple——

Deputy Ring is the biggest hyena.

This is a lame duck Government. The Tánaiste is a lame duck Tánaiste and the turkey is in Europe.

Deputy Ring is the loudest one.

The turkey is now in Europe.

The Tánaiste should be allowed to reply.

We have the lame duck Government, the lame duck Taoiseach and we are sending a turkey to represent us in Europe. Is that what the Tánaiste wants? That is the way this country has gone under Fianna Fáil.

Deputy Ring should allow the Tánaiste to reply without interruption.

We all know that even Deputy Kenny cannot control Deputy Ring.

The Tánaiste cannot control the Taoiseach. The Taoiseach controls him.

The situation is that a tribunal of inquiry was established into planning matters and corruption. An unsubstantiated allegation made by Mr. Gilmartin continues to stand against the Taoiseach——

Hear, hear.

——that he obtained moneys in regard to Quarryvale from the developer, Mr. O'Callaghan. No supportive material has been provided for that proposition but Deputy Kenny has decided otherwise.

What about the theft of Fianna Fáil money?

The fact of the matter is that Deputy Kenny has decided as a political tactic to constantly come to this House and prejudge and pre-empt the outcome of that tribunal, not after evidence was given but even in the course of evidence being given. A particular set of circumstances arose in regard to a building trustee account which has been paid back into that account.

It was paid back four weeks ago.

The guffaws are also organised.

The Tánaiste should be allowed to speak without interruption.

The Tánaiste should confront reality. He does not realise the damage he is doing to politics and to his credibility.

Deputy Shatter only received the confidence of the people recently. They quite rightly rejected him for a while. I have not had that experience myself so I do not have to take any lectures from him.

That is pathetic.

The Tánaiste is getting lower by the minute.

I do not have to take any lectures from him. I am pleased to say that rejection took place when Deputy Shatter was health spokesman in opposition to me when I was Minister for Health and Children.

Tom Gilmartin was right.

Regarding the matter before us, we in this party will not take lectures from Deputy Kenny on the tribunal of inquiry. As I understand it, on a number of occasions the judges of the tribunal of inquiry asked people to desist——

Hear, hear.

——from the constant politicising of the inquiry of which Deputy Kenny has been at the head.

Hear, hear. Absolutely.

Is the Minister, Deputy O'Dea, listening?

Will the Minister, Deputy O'Dea, write about that next Sunday?

Until such time as that ends, Deputy Kenny stands indicted for the tactics he is employing.

Fianna Fáil has no principles or standards and its members are not prepared to stand up for anything. It is disgraceful.

I call Deputy Gilmore.

Fianna Fáil is a party of no courage. Not a single one of them would stand up and say it is wrong to steal party funds.

What did John Bruton do?

He paid them under the counter.

Deputy Gilmore should be allowed to speak without interruption.