MS Eithne Fitzgerald's controversial £100 a plate fund raising lunch has been cancelled, the Tanaiste, Mr Spring, revealed in a written reply to Mr Ivor Callely (FF, Dublin North Central).

Last week, the Minister of State apologised to the Dail for using official notepaper to issue the invitations to the lunch in Jurys Hotel, Dublin, on March 28th. The Minister for Finance, Mr Quinn, was to have attended, with the proceeds going to the Labour Party in Ms Fitzgerald's Dublin South constituency.

The controversy was again raised in the Dail yesterday morning by the Fianna Fail spokesman on justice, Mr John O'Donoghue, who noted that regulations could he made by the Minister under section three of the Ethics in Public Office Act.

"May I ask the Tanaiste if he now considers, in the light of recent events, that Minister Eithne Fitzgerald should still oversee the implementation of this legislation?"

The Ceann Comhairle, Mr Sean Treacy, said the matter could not be discussed on the Order of Business.

Later, Mr Micheal Martin (FF, Cork South Central) asked if the Minister for Health, Mr Noonan, would be coming before to House to apologise for the use of official notepaper in a lunch invitation issued by him. He, too, was ruled out of order by Mr Treacy.

Mr Noonan asked if Mr Martin wanted him to produce the letters written by Fianna Fail ministers in government. "Do you want me to come in and wave them up?"

In a written reply, Mr Noonan told Mr Callely invitations had been issued from his office to a fund raising dinner and dance held on March 31st of last year. Similar invitations were also recently issued for a dinner on March 22nd next.

In other written replies, the Minister for Enterprise and Employment, Mr Bruton, revealed that invitations to two fund raising functions were issued from his constituency office.

His office notepaper had been used in the case of a constituency golf outing in June of last year. Invitations to a fund raising lunch in December of last year were issued on his Dail notepaper.

The Minister of State for Finance, Ms Avril Doyle, issued invitations to two fund raising events. One was held on July 12th last year, and the other, in conjunction with Ms Doyle's constituency colleagues, the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Yates, and Senator Michael D'Arcy, on October 13th.

The Minister of State for Social Welfare, Mr Bernard Durkan, issued invitations to a fund raising luncheon in September of last year from his constituency office.

In May of last year, the Minister of State for Health, Mr Austin Currie, issued invitations through his office seeking support for a fund raising luncheon in aid of his constituency organisation.