Gormley defends Ahern's handling of tax affairs

Green Party leader John Gormley strongly defended the Taoiseach's handling of his tax affairs yesterday and said he believes that Mr Ahern is tax compliant.

"I think he is tax compliant and more importantly I think that we have to work well together in Government and we have to deliver on the issues which we have actually put out there into the forefront and which are contained in the programme for government."

In an interview on RTÉ's This Week programme, Mr Gormley said he had "total confidence" in the work of the Mahon tribunal and he was not trying to pre-empt its work.

Mr Ahern is next due before the tribunal on Thursday, February 21st.

Mr Gormley said that for the Coalition between Fianna Fáil, the Greens and the PDs to work, there had to be a certain level of trust, "and I think that trust is there in relation to the statements that he [ Mr Ahern] has made.

© 2008 The Irish Times

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times