Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said the fact businessman Norman Turner was a Fianna Fáil donor made no difference to him receiving an Irish passport.
Yesterday, it emerged that Mr Ahern assisted Mr Turner in receiving a passport in 1994. Mr Turner made a donation of $10,000 to the party at that time.
The businessman was at the centre of a proposal to build a controversial casino in the Phoenix Park in the same year.
A Government statement dismissed as 'mischievous' any suggestion of impropriety in the Taoiseach helping Mr Turner.
Mr Turner acquired Irish citizenship as was his right through his mother, who was born in Cork in 1929.
Bertie Ahern added that the story relating to the issue was delivered in a certain way.
The Taosieach said no special treatment was sought in the passport application.
He refuted in the strongest terms the suggestion that the passport application indicated a special relationship, he said this was an absolute fallacy.
A Government statement insisted it was not unusual for passport applications to be routed through offices of members of the Oireachtas and that in 2007 more than 6,200 passports were processed in this manner.
Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael still disagree over the significance of the assistance the Taoiseach gave Mr Turner.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio's Morning Ireland this morning, Fine Gael TD Phil Hogansaid that the information showed that Mr Ahern and Mr Turner have a stronger connection than had been known publicly up to this week.
Speaking on the same programme, Fianna Fáil TD Martin Mansergh insisted Bertie Ahern has the backing of the party.
Hogan 'a disgrace'
Meanwhile, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern has branded Fine Gael TD Phil Hogan 'a disgrace' saying he was 'the lowest of the low.'
Speaking on LMFM Radio this morning, Mr Ahern said Mr Hogan had a record of smearing people.
The Minister said Mr Hogan had made allegations about him taking a holiday from Ben Dunne when Fine Gael was in Government.
The allegations were not true and Mr Hogan said he had withdrawn them once new information had come to light.
Mr Ahern told the radio station he was not trying to divert attention away from the issue of Bertie Ahern assisting Mr Turner to get a passport.
Dermot Ahern had not been scheduled to appear on the 'Loosetalk' programme but phoned in when he became aware of Phil Hogan's appearance.
The Dáil will conclude its debate on the Mahon Tribunal later.
A Government motion expressing support for the tribunal but calling on it to issue its report quickly and deploring leaks of confidential information is expected to be passed.
