A FIANNA Fail claim that the Attorney General, Mr Dermot Gleeson, should not be legal adviser to the Government because of his previous work as a barrister was strongly rejected by the Minister of State, Mr Donal Carey.

Fianna Fail pointed out that Mr Gleeson had acted as counsel for people such as Mr Ben Dunne, Mr Larry Goodman and Mr Matt Russell. The party's spokesman on justice, Mr John O'Donoghue, queried Mr Gleeson's presence in Government Buildings on the day Mr Michael Lowry resigned as minister for Transport, Energy and Communications.

It had now emerged, he added, that nobody knew more about Mr Dunne's payments, other than Mr Dunne himself than the Attorney General. It was entirely inappropriate.

Mr Carey, who was taking Question Time on behalf of the Taoiseach, said that the Attorney General came to his office most Saturdays. He recalled that the Taoiseach had already told the Dail that Mr Gleeson had informed him he had acted as counsel for Mr Dunne in litigation between Mr Dunne and other members of the Dunne family.

He added that no conflict had arisen relating to any matter on which the Attorney General had been asked to advise.