Fianna Fáil leadership plotters were last night given a blunt warning by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, to stop sniping at his leadership.
Speaking to a well-attended Parliamentary Party meeting, Mr Ahern voiced "intense frustration" at the lack of discipline within Fianna Fáil ranks over recent months.
According to usually reliable sources, Mr Ahern told party colleagues that he would be around "for an awfully long time yet", to a sustained round of applause.
"He made it clear to people that he was not going to put up with the sort of nonsense that has been going on and that he would make people's lives a misery if it did," said one source.
The Taoiseach has become increasingly frustrated in recent months at the Fianna Fáil/Progressive Democrats' declining opinion poll ratings.
"He made it clear to people that he knew we are going through a bad patch, that he didn't need to be told that, but that things would improve if people held together," said one TD.
His decision to issue the warning at last night's Parliamentary Party meeting was not accidental, some backbenchers felt. "He usually gives an end of year sermon. The attendance falls away after the Budget, so it was better to do it now," said one.
The meeting, which began at 5.30 and ended shortly before 7.30 last night, did not discuss the controversy surrounding the Community Employment Scheme (CES) at all.
The failure of TDs and Senators to raise the issue again came despite the fact that 40 of them last week signed a motion demanding more money for the scheme.
Just one junior ministerial colleague, Mr Michael Ahern, flanked the Minister of State for Labour Affairs, Mr Frank Fahey, as he opposed a Labour Party private members' motion on the CES in the Dáil last night. Mr Fahey was forced to defend the Government's decision to keep CES numbers at 20,000.
The Fianna Fáil benches were empty for most of Mr Fahey's speech - which will end with a vote today - bar the presence for a time of Dublin West TD Mr Charlie O'Connor.
Pushing for more CES resources last week, Mr Fahey told the Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party meeting that it was "the acid test" on which it would be judged by voters.
"There is an absolute need for the policy to be accepted. It is the critical decision for the party and the Government. If we are a left-of-centre party we have got to look after the most vulnerable people in our society.
"It offers the unemployed, the marginalised the opportunity to enhance their lives and the extra cost is only €28 a week, on top of what they would get on social welfare," Mr Fahey said then.
The tough line adopted by the Taoiseach at last night's Parliamentary Party meeting was welcomed by a number of backbenchers, who have been worried by the lack of unity amongst the ranks.
Defending the failure of TDs to raise the CES controversy, the chairman of the Parliamentary Party, Mr Seamus Kirk, said backbenchers had accepted that changes would not be made.
Backbenchers had tried to get concessions but acknowledged that the Government should not be affected by internal division during Budget week, he said.
"He [Mr Ahern] made it clear to people that we needed to be cohesive and disciplined," said Mr Kirk, who emphasised that the majority of Mr Ahern's speech had focused on last week's Northern elections.
Government Chief Whip Ms Mary Hanafin ruled out any CES concessions in today's Budget.
