Tensions are said to persist between the coalition partners this evening despite an effort by the former Tánaiste, Mary Harney, to defuse them.
Ms Harney termed an assertion by the Taoiseach that she had been aware of his loans from his friends a 'misunderstanding'.
Ms Harney insisted that she had not discussed with the Taoiseach his personal finances or loans given to him by friends.
Speaking to journalists in Tullamore, Ms Harney said she did not believe the Taoiseach had 'meant anything' his statement in the Dáil.
However RTÉ political staff say serious tensions remain with the current Tánaiste, Michael McDowell, over the Taoiseach's failure to inform him of his connection with Manchester businessman Michéal Wall and that this pre-dated the Dáil exchanges about Ms Harney.
The Taoiseach confirmed in the Dáil this morning that he had bought his house from Mr Wall.
Mr Wall was at the event in Manchester in 1994 where the Taoiseach received a payment of £8,000, but only in his capacity as a bus driver.
The Taoiseach said he did not mention the connection to Mr Wall when making a statement to the Dáil earlier this week because he did not attend the dinner itself, nor did he make a contribution towards the payment.
Mr Ahern was taking the Order of Business in the Dáil instead of Tánaiste Michael McDowell, who had been scheduled to do so.
He said he had spoken to Mr Wall three times at the weekend to try to get details of who attended the Manchester dinner. But he said again it was impossible at this remove to name the people at the dinner.
Mr Ahern said that he had bought the Drumcondra house in the autumn of 1997 at full market value, and had taken out a loan from the Irish Permanent Building Society.
Mr Ahern said all stamp duty and taxes due had been paid. He said all of the details relating to the house purchase were with the Mahon Tribunal.
Mr Ahern also said he had paid the deposit for the house deal using his building society deposit book, and these details too had been given to the Mahon Tribunal.
He said he had given full details of how he had rented the house for two years, at full market rates, to the inquiry.
Mr Wall, he said, had also given over his file on this issue to the tribunal.
Fine Gael Leader Enda Kenny had asked the Taoiseach if there was any connection between the Manchester dinner and the purchase of his house. He said Mr Ahern should now put everything in the public domain.
Call for Taoiseach to give names
Labour's Liz McManus said it did not 'stack up' that the Taoiseach would forget the man he bought his house from, if he attended the Manchester dinner.
Ms McManus said it was beyond belief that the Taoiseach had been incapable of remembering the name of Micheál Wall. She said everybody remembered the name of the person who sold them their house.
Now, she said, the Taoiseach had to give the Dáil the names of those who were at that Manchester dinner. He should also reveal if he had had any business dealings with any other person who had been at that dinner.
She said the truth must come out completely or the Opposition would keep asking questions.
Earlier, the Labour Party's Environment Spokesman, Eamon Gilmore, said the failure by Mr Ahern to mention Mr Wall in the Dail on Tuesday cast doubt on his recollection of the event.
When the Taoiseach spoke to the Dáil last Tuesday to try to clear up how he received the money at the dinner, he said it was not possible to give a full list of all the people who had attended.
He did name a John Kennedy and a Tim Kilroe, but not Micheál Wall, originally from Cong in Co Mayo, even though Mr Wall had confirmed earlier in the day on RTÉ Radio that he was at the dinner.
