Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

I do not think we have seen any cynicism or hypocrisy today. I still believe as strongly in probity as I ever did. Deputy Kenny asked two direct questions. He asked if I used that money for the purchase of my house. The answer is "No". I purchased my house with an Irish Permanent Building Society loan and some money from my current account which was not linked to this current account. I saw a report the other day that I bought my house for £67,000 or something, but that is not true. My loan was an Irish Permanent Building Society loan and mortgage which I took out and paid over recent years.

On the other issue, I had no knowledge that anybody was organising a fundraiser. None of the people who was with me asked anybody to raise funds for me in Manchester. Nobody did that. I do not believe that one of those I had told at the end of that weekend was even aware of the issue. I would think that some of my friends would have spoken previously about my circumstances, but that was no secret to some of my friends in Manchester because the issue of my personal circumstances had been in the newspapers a number of times that summer.

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