THE Tanaiste declined to say if he intended taking action against Ms Eithne Fitzgerald following her controversial issuing of invitations to a £100 a head fund raising lunch.

Last week the Minister of State apologised to the Dail for using official notepaper to issue the invitations to the lunch, which is to be attended by the Minister for Finance, Mr Quinn. The proceeds are to go to the Labour Party in Ms Fitzgerald's Dublin South constituency.

Yesterday the PD leader, Ms Mary Harney, pressed Mr Spring, on the Order of Business, to say if he intended taking disciplinary action against Ms Fitzgerald for a breach of the Government's ethics legislation.

She also sought an assurance that there would be no preferential treatment for anybody, on payment of £100 to the Labour Party, before publication of the Bill.

Mr Spring said the Finance Bill would be published in the normal circumstances in a very short time.

Ms Harney said she wanted an assurance that no particular group of persons would be given a preferential briefing about the contents of the Bill before it was published.

The Lens Cheann Comhairle Mr Joe Jacob, said the matter could not be debated on the Order of Business.