Ahern will not resign over his finances

Irish prime minister
Bertie Ahern has
refused to resign over the controversy related to his personal finances,
maintaining he has ‘nothing outstanding’ with the Irish
Revenue office, following repeated calls
from Enda Kenny, the Fine Gael leader and Eamon Gilmore, the Labour leader to
quit.

Asked by reporters in Dublin if he had considered leaving office, Ahern said:
‘Never. I just got a mandate a few months ago so I have to see that out. Maybe
2012.’

Fine Gael this week formally filed a complaint against Ahern with Standards
in Public Office (Sipo), claiming he is not tax compliant. The prime minister
said he would produce a certificate of application, which was the ‘same in tax
law’ as a tax clearance certificate, The Irish Times reports.

‘The issue here is very simple. In tax law the application certificate and
the tax clearance certificate are the same in law,’ Ahern said. ‘The position
taken by the Revenue is that they can’t finalise it until Mahon’s work is
finished. I mean, that’s fine by me. I have no difficulty with that, I have no
difficulty with the Revenue position.’

Further reading:

Ahern’s tax irregularities spark political row

Ahern admits to questionable tax affairs

Read
story in The Irish Times