THE Fianna Fail leader, Mr Bertie Ahern, has warned that any member of his parliamentary party found to be involved in the Dunnes Stores payments controversy will be immediately expelled and cannot seek re-election.
Speaking to his front bench before the Dail resumed yesterday, Mr Ahern asked his shadow ministers "collectively and individually" whether they had been in receipt of any payments from Mr Ben Dunne. He was informed by each one that he or she was not implicated.
Mr Ahern will today formally repeat the question to his TDs and senators and will urge them, if they have received money from Dunnes Stores, to come to him privately and to inform him "by 6 p.m."
Giving an outline of political developments since the resignation of Mr Michael Lowry as Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications, the Fianna Fail leader is also understood to have discussed with his front bench the rumours that have been sweeping Leinster House since the Sunday Tribune reported that a prominent Fianna Fail figure had received more than £1 million from Dunnes Stores.
Dividing the rumours into "believable" and "incredible" categories, he emphasised that if anyone was found to have accepted the controversial funding, they would have the whip removed.
Any party candidate already nominated to contest the general election would have the decision rescinded and could not stand for office on behalf of Fianna Fail.
Senior party sources said last night that Mr Ahern had adopted "a very tough line".
Meanwhile, Fine Gael sources said that Mr Lowry would be expected to give an account of the reasons behind his resignation "in the new year".
"His parliamentary party colleagues are still in the dark. They appreciate that he needs time but it would be in his own interests to give an explanation sooner rather than later. .. no further away than early next year", one source said.
There was "no hostility" among Fine Gael TDs and senators towards Mr Lowry but there was "considerable sadness that we are in a mess again". The real arbiters in the affair would be the Revenue Commissioners, and Mr Lowry's colleagues expected him to make a statement on the matter at some stage, one TD said.
The resignation is also expected to be raised at today's Parliamentary Labour Party meeting, although the matter is not on the agenda.
"There is a feeling of unease in the Labour Party that the politics that dominate the agenda are just moving from one difficulty to another, underpinned by recrimination," one party source said.
"People feel he was more foolish than anything else," he added.