Pressure builds on Irish PM over payments

DUBLIN, Sep 29 (Reuters) Pressure mounted on Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern today to explain a fee he received 12 years ago as finance minister, which has sparked a political furore some commentators believe could topple his government.

Ahern, already under fire over a 50,000 euro (64,000 dollar) loan from a group of friends in late 1993 which he has not repaid, insisted on Thursday he had broken no rules in accepting 8,000 pounds (15,000 dollar) for speaking at a dinner in Manchester in 1994.

Ahern, who has been Irish prime minister since 1997 and faces a general election in the next nine months, mentioned the payment in a televised interview this week to discuss money he received from friends 13 years ago to help pay legal costs of his marital separation.

The Progressive Democrats, junior coalition partner in government with Ahern's Fianna Fail party, initially defended his actions in accepting the loans but later questioned the speaking fee in comments the Irish Independent newspaper said ''effectively put a gun'' to Ahern's head.

''I have to say that there are very significant matters of concern which are not completely put at rest by the facts now in the public domain,'' newly appointed Progressive Democrats leader and Deputy Prime Minister Michael McDowell said.

''Public confidence and the sustainability of the government requires that these issues be addressed in the time frame that the system within Dail Eireann (parliament) allows for''.

Leader of the main opposition party Enda Kenny said, ''Ahern's position could well become untenable.'' PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE It was an Irish Times story last week that first ignited the controversy with a report containing leaked information on the payments, which then forced Ahern to confirm he was being investigated by an anti-corruption tribunal.

The tribunal from which the initial details about Ahern were leaked is one of several set up in recent years to probe corruption in the 1980s and 1990s as Ireland emerged from a long period of murky political practice.

Ahern will be asked to give more details about the speaking fee at a special government debate on the matter next Tuesday.

''If Mr Ahern does not come up with a satisfactory response in the Dail on Tuesday -- or before -- the life of the Fianna Fail/Progressive Democrats Government will be seriously under threat,'' The Irish Times newspaper wrote.

The two main opposition parties issued a statement on Friday saying the time allocated for Tuesday's debate was insufficient.

''What the government is offering is, in effect, normal Dail business plus seven five-minute statements. ... Given the scale of the crisis now facing government this is totally inadequate,'' Fine Gael and Labour said.

''The time would not be sufficient for the Taoiseach (Ahern) or the House to deal adequately with the issues that the opposition parties have been raising for the past week and which were subsequently raised by the Tanaiste (McDowell)''.

The parties said they were requesting a formal meeting of all party whips to reconsider the arrangements.

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