Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

As I have said, the Chief Whip may wish to talk to Deputy Callely to find out whether he wishes to make a statement. Deputy Callely may wish to do so, but as of now he does not. This is my statement; I will have no more to say on the matter. Deputy Callely has been involved in a number of controversies, all of which are in the public domain, over a period of some time. The controversies have made his life and his job impossible to carry out. He set that out for me in a letter today. He thinks the way he has been treated has been very unfair, but he accepts that it has made his job impossible and I accept that position. He is a hard-working person, but he has become involved in these controversies which have not done him or anyone else much good. He accepts that position. That is my statement; I have no more to say. It is politically mischievous to raise other issues about Deputy Callely's past and the Ministers under whom he has worked. That is the end of my statement.

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