Ahern's day:Taoiseach Bertie Ahern yesterday said that he would make a full statement on his personal finances before polling day. Mr Ahern told reporters there were "some outstanding issues" and he would be dealing with these in the days ahead.
However, he indicated that such a statement on his personal finances was unlikely to be issued until towards the end of the week at the earliest.
Mr Ahern said he was going to Northern Ireland on Tuesday for the first day of the new executive. He said there was no way he could talk to his legal team until Wednesday or Thursday.
Asked by reporters as to whether he believed that the Tánaiste, Michael McDowell, should have spoken to him about the latest developments in the current controversy, Mr Ahern said that was a matter for him.
"I never get upset about these things. The only thing I get upset about is that some of this might have affected some of my own supporters on the ground and for that I would be very sorry about," he said.
However, speaking to reporters later the Taoiseach again indicated his annoyance at the leaking of documents provided to the Mahon tribunal when he spoke of ring-binders of material being given to media.
Mr Ahern spent yesterday in his Dublin Central constituency. In the morning he was interviewed live by Sky News in the UK.
Throughout the day, as he attended events in the constituency, he was pressed by reporters on at least three occasions on the finances issues, the Progressive Democrats's press conference and the party's demand for a statement as well as on the future of the coalition.
Speaking to reporters outside St Luke's, Drumcondra, Mr Ahern denied misleading the Tánaiste on the issue of his finances. He said that some information had only come to light in the last six months.
"I would not have known myself and could not have told him that - I would not have known that myself ," he said.
He said the life of the Government was nearly over anyway but it had been a good Government and it had worked very hard.
In the afternoon Mr Ahern was questioned by reporters on his arrival at and departure from a special Mass at the Church of St Francis Xavier in Gardiner Street to mark the 175th anniversary of the first Mass celebrated there.
Asked again about the controversy and whether he would be making the statement sought by Mr McDowell, the Taoiseach said that there were "some outstanding issues".
He said that "somewhere during the course of the campaign I will do that".
