The arrival of the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, at the Fianna Fail local authority members' conference in Malahide, Co Dublin, yesterday had all the hallmarks of an election rally.
Arriving midway through an otherwise dull question-and-answer session on the National Development Plan, the Taoiseach received a spontaneous ovation when he criticised the difficulty the Labour Party leader, Mr Quinn, is having with the all-party approach to political funding.
"Perhaps," he suggested, "the Labour leader would have been embarrassed when it came to discussing the register of political lobbyists as his own name would be top of that list."
Apologising for the whirlwind nature of his visit, Mr Ahern said it was his third function before lunch, and the afternoon would be spent in Tipperary. If he was moving too fast for the media to catch up, maybe they should get out of bed earlier; it certainly wasn't his fault, he quipped to rapturous applause from the delegates.
Addressing the members on their role in local authorities, he said: "I pledge as leader of Fianna Fail that our party will never again be used as a vehicle for personal profiteering."
The Government had set up the McCracken, Moriarty and Flood tribunals on payments to politicians, the Lindsay tribunal on blood products, appointed the Costello inquiry into the Ansbacher accounts, the Blaney inquiry on irregularities in National Irish Bank, the Murphy inquiry into abuse in swimming and the Laffoy inquiry into child abuse. While others talked, "we have walked the walk", he said.
Before leaving, Mr Ahern received another round of applause when he paid tribute to the conference chairman, Mr Sean Haughey, and the local Fianna Fail TD, Mr G.V. Wright, who "took care of things out here in Malahide for Fianna Fail".
During the question-and-answer session, Mr Clifford Kelly from Meath was told by the Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke, that the commuter railway line would definitely be extended to Navan, and a possibility of a passenger line to Kingscourt, Co Cavan, could be considered as a freight line was already in existence there.
There were no plans to extend the line to Cavan town.
Aer Rianta's ownership of three of the State's airports would not be dismantled, the Minister told Mr Terry Shannon of Cork Corporation. However, as Aer Rianta was in need of investment of £500 million, she could not say it would remain wholly owned by the State "as the Cabinet hasn't made a decision on that".
She added that Knock Airport may be able to secure additional carriers and revealed that the Government had recently applied to the EU to be allowed to pay a supplement of £12 a passenger carried, to the airport. She was critical of the fact that Knock Airport had not sought this subsidy in the past and of signposting for the airport on surrounding road routes. "Whatever Knock has looked for it has got," she said.
Ms O'Rourke said Waterford Airport had been granted £155,000 and that the airport was seeking £1.25 million to extend the runway "and we hope we can accommodate them". The Government also hoped to facilitate the development of Farranfore, Co Kerry, and was committed to the regional airports. "Anything we can give them we will because of the good service they provide," she said.
Mr Seamus Murray of Meath was told that a £10 million fund had been set aside for rural transport initiatives. Ms O'Rourke said she would be interested to hear suggestions on possible pilot services which could be set up.
