THE Taoiseach was pressed to comment on the controversy surrounding the Minister for Agriculture during noisy exchanges on the Order of Business.

Mr Bruton was asked by the Fianna Fail leader, Mr Bertie Ahern, if it was acceptable to him and to the Government that a minister should mislead the public by creating the false impression that a gun was put to his head, that he was negotiating a contract, that he was there to the final stages, "that he actually got the dust of the Russian veterinary officer's boot into the face.

The Minister had misled the Irish people and should make a personal statement of apology to them in the House, added Mr Ahern.

The PD leader, Ms Mary Harney, recalled the Taoiseach had told the Dail in November 1994: "Without truth, there is no foundation for good government." Yet on Wednesday, the Minister for Agriculture had misled the House.

The issue was about standards that applied in government and she invited the Taoiseach to comment on what the Minister had said in the House. Mr Yates had told the House an untruth when he insisted that he had never said he had been in Dublin Airport, she added.

"Taoiseach, your Minister misled the Dail yesterday. Do you accept that?" she asked. Mr Bruton, who was seated, shook his head to indicate that he did not.

Ms Harney said there was a time when the Taoiseach used to deal severely with his Fine Gael ministers. "He has even abandoned that now."

As the noisy exchanges continued, the Ceann Comhairle, Mr Sean Treacy, said that if serious allegations were made against a member of the House it must be done by way of substantive motion.

Mr Bruton said Mr Yates would make a full statement later on all matters affecting the beef industry. "Furthermore, he will be answering questions extensively over a long period on any aspect of his statement, or any aspect of the beef industry, or his management of the present crisis."

He accused Fianna Fail, in particular, of attempting to gain advantage from the difficulties in the beef industry and claimed that its poor management of the industry had required the establishment of a tribunal of inquiry.

When the inquiry had reported. Fianna Fail did not allow a single question to be asked or answered of any of their ministers, the Taoiseach added.

He said Ms Harney should realise that the Minister was being accountable to the House in a full and rigorous way. This was in marked contrast to the behaviour of Fianna Fail, the party Ms Harney was now wishing to align herself with.