The Taoiseach has said that following the publication of the Quigley Report, Martin Cullen will continue as Minister for Transport.
Mr Cullen welcomed the findings of the report into his awarding of public relations contracts to a political supporter.
He said the report by former Revenue Commissioner Dermot Quigley had found that all involved acted with integrity and fairness.
Including expenses and VAT, contracts awarded to PR consultant Monica Leech by the Office of Public Works and the Department of the Environment were worth €390,000.
Mr Quigley was asked to report on the contracts because Mrs Leech is a political associate of Mr Cullen, who was the minister in charge when the contracts were awarded.
The report states there is no evidence that Mr Cullen attempted to intervene in the process; there was no oral or written civil service advice to him against the procedure; and there was little material difference between the services contracted for, and those actually provided.
Concerns raised
However, Mr Quigley did raise a number of concerns, particularly the fact that Mr Cullen proposed Mrs Leech's name for the contract - which he said could give rise to a perception of impropriety.
He also criticised the lack of proper monitoring and recording of the work actually done, and said the contract should have been more widely advertised, and more firms should have been invited to tender for it.
But Mr Cullen's place in Cabinet seems secure: a statement from the Taoiseach noted there is nothing in the report to suggest he acted inappropriately.
Mr Quigley has suggested new rules to tighten up procedures, including that advice should be issued to ministers about the need for care in suggesting a particular person for a contract.
Mr Ahern said he had directed that arrangements should be made to implement the recommendations made by Mr Quigley.
He said a new unit would be set up in his own department to assess requests from ministers, to ensure that contracts are not just awarded correctly, but are seen to be awarded correctly.
The Standards in Public Office Commission is to meet next week to consider whether to conduct a separate investigate into the matter.
A commission spokesman said they had already received relevant files from the Office of Public Works and the Department of the Environment and were also considering the Quigley Report
You can download a copy of the Quigley Report in pdf format
