The Government comfortably defeated the Opposition motion extending the terms of reference of the Moriarty tribunal to investigate the Ansbacher accounts.

It won the division by 75 votes to 69, getting the support, as expected, of three Independents, Mr Jackie Healy-Rae (Kerry South), Ms Mildred Fox (Wicklow) and Mr Harry Blaney (Donegal NorthEast).

Mr Des O'Malley (PD, Limerick East) said he believed that the work of the tribunal, coupled with the investigations which were being undertaken elsewhere, would permit the House to get to the bottom of the Ansbacher accounts.

"I hope that the opposition parties will be able to accept the legal advice made available to the Government prohibiting an extension of the terms of reference," he added.

"I also hope that they will be able to accept the Government's bona fides in uncovering, and in seeking the prosecution of, any offences under company law or any other legislation which are discovered in the current investigations."

Supporting the opposition motion, Mr Caoimhghin O Caolain (Sinn Fein, Cavan-Monaghan) said that without an investigation of the Ansbacher accounts, the tribunal would be failing the people.