Taoiseach's brothers defend his evidence to Mahon tribunal

THE TWO brothers of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern have strongly defended his evidence to the planning tribunal and have predicted he will stay on as leader until 2011.

In separate interviews yesterday, Minister of State Noel Ahern and councillor Maurice Ahern also dismissed any suggestion that their brother's evidence had caused disquiet or unease in Fianna Fáil ranks.

In Cork, Noel Ahern said his brother would step down as leader of Fianna Fáil at a time of his own choosing, probably in the autumn of 2011.

"I'm sure he'll give whoever the new Fianna Fáil leader is a six or nine month lead-in to an election, but it's not for me to be naming the day for him, I think it's another three or four years away."

Maurice Ahern, speaking at a Fás careers exhibition in Croke Park, criticised the tribunal for not asking questions about his mother's personal finance in private rather than in public.

"There was no need to drag my mother's few bob into it . . . that sort of stuff could have been done in private," he said.

He also was critical of reports that the tribunal is now requesting the details of the accounts of every cumann in Dublin Central from that time, something he said will put undue pressure on volunteers.

Meanwhile, Minster for Education Mary Hanafin added her voice to Government colleagues who have attacked the Opposition for repeatedly querying Mr Ahern's evidence to the inquiry.

She said she agreed with Brian Cowen that there was a witch-hunt against the Taoiseach being mounted by Fine Gael.