Ahern plays down Reynolds comments

The Taoiseach has played down comments by his predecessor, Mr Albert Reynolds, which appeared to question his appointment of Mr Ray Burke as minister in the light of Mr Burke's role in a passports-for-investment deal in 1990.

A spokesman for Mr Ahern said last night that Mr Burke's issuing of 11 passports to Sheikh Khalid bin Mahfous had been reported extensively in The Irish Times last October. "It was then dealt with fully in the Dail and is now, as far as we know, being looked at by the Moriarty tribunal. I don't know why a newspaper is regurgitating it now."

The Government reaction was backed up last night by the former minister for justice, Ms Maire Geoghegan Quinn, who first made Mr Reynolds aware of irregularities in the Mahfous file. "This is an old story. There's nothing new in it," she said.

Speaking from London, Mr Reynolds had told first the Examiner and later RTE that he advised Mr Ahern to look at the Saudi file before appointing Mr Burke. He added that it was up to Mr Ahern whether he then chose Mr Burke.

Asked by RTE if the matter was damaging to Fianna Fail, he said that payments to ministers or TDs was damaging, not only for Fianna Fail but for politics generally.

The Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, said Mr Reynolds's comments added to the mystery about what kind of investigation Mr Ahern had ordered into Mr Burke's affairs before appointing him minister for foreign affairs.

"I think the Taoiseach should clarify what conversations he had with Mr Reynolds in the light of Mr Reynolds's warning about appointing Mr Burke, a warning that has proven to be well justified," he said.

Mr Bruton added that had a former Taoiseach given him such advice when he took the job, he certainly would have acted on it.

Asked if he thought Mr Reynolds was being mischievous in reopening the matter, the Taoiseach's spokesman said Mr Reynolds had only answered questions that were put to him.

But the Tanaiste, Ms Harney, appeared more critical on RTE, saying of his comments on the passport affair: "He didn't tell me before the government was formed. But I don't want to talk about that . . . It's a matter for Mr Reynolds what he thought, what he said, what he didn't say."

She added: "Mr Reynolds's period as minister for industry and commerce is not something that I think many people could praise because of his role in relation to the beef tribunal."