The Labour leader, Mr Pat Rabbitte, has criticised the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, over his failure to say clearly whether the smoking ban in pubs will be imposed from the Government deadline of January 1st next year.
Claiming that the Taoiseach habitually engaged in "obfuscation and ambivalence", Mr Rabbitte said the public did not know what Mr Ahern was saying when he undertook "doorstep" interviews before his public engagements.
With rumours persisting that Mr Ahern may reshuffle the Cabinet before Christmas, Mr Rabbitte claimed that Cabinet members were more concerned about succession stakes than managing their Departments.
While the Government dismissed such rumours several weeks ago as "speculation", the Government spokeswoman would not comment yesterday on the possibility of a reshuffle.
Mr Rabbitte said: "Mr Ahern won't give regular interviews in the normal meaning of that term but encourages the 25-second soundbite which broadcasters feel obliged to publish, although more frequently than not it's impossible to know what is being said."
He added: "In the process Mr Ahern earns the 'most accessible' Taoiseach sobriquet, his spin-doctors get him on the evening news, the public don't know what he's saying and warring Ministers can read his remarks to suit themselves.
"The 25-second soundbite doorstep interview patented by Mr Ahern and acquiesced in by the media allows this farce to continue where Ministers in his Government can take both sides of whatever issue and most of the media seem content to merely report the different positions," he said.
Mr Rabbitte called on the Taoiseach to say whether he was backing moves by the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, to impose the ban in January or whether he was supporting the stance of the Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen, who is not in favour of the initiative.
"How in the name of all that is reasonable can it be considered newsworthy that the Taoiseach supports the smoking ban in principle but he doesn't know what will be the detail of implementation?" he said.
