The Progressive Democrats last night sharply rejected the Opposition's demand that Mr Michael McDowell quit as Attorney General following his decision to run for the junior Coalition partners.
The Fine Gael leader, Mr Michael Noonan, called on the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and the Tánaiste, Ms Harney, to maintain the "integrity" of the AG's office by sacking him if he did not resign "with immediate effect".
"The idea of using the office as a launching pad for a Dáil seat is particularly disturbing and a serious demeaning of the office that has been filled with distinction by so many lawyers of all parties," said Mr Noonan.
The Tánaiste immediately countered by saying that six TDs and one senator - including four Fine Gael members - had served in the past as the Government's top legal adviser.
She went on: "If there was any conflict of interest we would not have gone ahead with it. This does not compromise in any sense the AG's Office."
Saying that he would chair discussions about the party's election manifesto, rather than writing it himself, Mr McDowell said:
"It is nothing to do with thinking up the party's policies. There seems to be a myth somehow that attorneys general should not be a member of Dáil Éireann, or should not be involved in politics. It is wholly unhistorical.
"I am surprised that he does not understand the position. The criticism is a little bit opportunistic and I think it is a case of slight jealousy."
The full list of TDs who served as AG is:
Mr Hugh Kennedy for Cumann na nGaedhael; Mr Conor Maguire and Mr James Geoghegan for Fianna Fáil; and Sir Cecil Lavery, Mr Patrick McGilligan and Mr Declan Costello for Fine Gael.
However, the leader of the Labour Party, Mr Ruairí Quinn, said Mr McDowell's situation was entirely different since as party president he would be responsible for developing policy.
"There is a potential conflict between the advice that he would give to his party and the independent advice he would give to the government. That is a possibility," said Mr Quinn.
The Green Party leader, Mr Trevor Sargent, said Mr McDowell had to make a choice.
"His comparison with other TDs does not stand up, since they did not make the type of political statements that he has been making," he said.
A Government spokesman said he could see no reason why Mr McDowell should resign.
"A precedent has been set, but it is the other way," he told The Irish Times.
Mr McDowell briefed Mr Ahern in advance about his decision to stand again.
But the AG has clearly compromised on his October 2000 proposal that he should be directly elected as president by the party's members, with wide-ranging executive powers. Instead, he will be the Tánaiste's nominee before next month's annual conference.
The party's national executive will be asked to agree a motion to change the party's rules when they meet in Dublin tomorrow.
Meanwhile, the party received its third boost in a week when the Minister of State, Mr Robert Molloy, confirmed that he would seek a nomination at the February 3rd Galway West selection convention.
"This is an exciting time for the Progressive Democrats, and I am delighted once again to be part of a dedicated team of candidates," said Mr Molloy, who has served continuously since 1965. Talks between the Progressive Democrats and a poll-topping Kildare County Council independent councillor, Ms Kathleen Walsh, are expected to end shortly.
