Opposition parties have asked the Taoiseach to make a decision on whether junior minister Ivor Callely will step down after claims a building firm arranged to have his house redecorated in the early 1990s.
John Paul Construction said in a statement this morning it employed a subcontractor to paint the interior of Mr Callely's Clontarf home and had footed the bill.
Bertie Ahern
At the time Mr Callely, who is now Minister of State at the Department of Transport, was chairman of the then Eastern Health Board, whose headquarters was being refurbished by the building company.
In the Dáil this morning, the Taoiseach said he was "not impressed" with Mr Callely who has faced recent controversy since key staff in his office resigned their positions.
Mr Ahern said the latest claims were "serious issues" and said he hoped to speak to Mr Callely later today.
"I tried to contact Deputy Callely last night and my office tried to contact him very early this morning. I have not been able to talk to him about these issues."
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said of the latest allegations against Mr Callely: "This is another incident which causes very serious and grave doubts among the public about the capacity of this particular minister to carry on."
He asked the Taoiseach: "Are you prepared to make a decision that will see that Minister Callely no longer holds office tomorrow?"
Labour leader Pat Rabbitte asked the house: "Is the Taoiseach saying he is going to fire this incompetent, accident prone minister?
"Is that what he is telling the house?
"Are you going act now today or are you going to drag it out until you see which way the wind is blowing and ultimately he ends up retiring," Mr Rabbitte asked the Taoiseach.
The Taoiseach said he was not "going to make a judgement on a report that I didn't even hear.
"I understand that Mr Charlie Bird has made a detailed report on this. I'm going to listen to that but I will talke to Minister Callely later today."
