The Taoiseach has denied that a £30,000 loan from a Fianna Fáil fundraising account that Celia Larkin used to buy a house has implications for him.
Speaking as he left the Mahon Tribunal this evening, Mr Ahern said the decision was one for the trust and it was entitled to do it.
It emerged this afternoon that Ms Larkin is the registered owner of a house bought using a loan of £30,000 from the St Luke's Building Trust account.
It was loaned in 1993 to assist with the purchase of the unidentified property.
A solicitor for Ms Larkin and her aunt, who has not been named, argued that the matter is not connected to the Tribunal and does not fall under its terms of reference.
In the early 1990s, the house in which Celia Larkin's aunts lived with friends was put on the open market.
It was proposed that the women remaining could rent the upstairs portion of the house. But concerns about that arrangement were expressed and Ms Larkin assisted with the purchase.
The house cost over £40,000 and one of Ms Larkin's aunts provided part of the cost price.
The property was bought in Ms Larkin's name and she undertook the maintenance of the house.
Bertie Ahern told the tribunal this afternoon that there was no legal agreement drawn up for the loan but it may have been recorded in minutes or notes.
It was agreed if the house was sold, or if the trustees of the Building Trust Account sought repayment, the funds would be returned immediately.
Mr Ahern said that when he first heard of the matter Ms Larkin was already the legal owner of the property.
He also confirmed that the loan was only repaid 'since Christmas'.
He said the funds repaid for the loan with interest will be returned to the Building Trust Account.
'Disgraceful' and 'offensive' comments
Earlier, The Chairman of the Tribunal asked counsel for the Taoiseach to withdraw what he called disgraceful and offensive comments.
Judge Alan Mahon said suggestions that the tribunal was biased and had an agenda were untrue.
He told Conor Maguire SC that comments made by him suggested the Mahon Tribunal was a witch-hunt pursued by a bunch of crooks.
He said the suggestion that the tribunal consisted of three judges on an illegal, corrupt and criminal frolic of their own was offensive and should be withdrawn.
The exchange between the two men lasted for more than half an hour and members of the public clapped and cheered in support of the tribunal during the exchange.
Judge Mahon said Bertie Ahern's senior counsel was in effect accusing the tribunal of being corrupt – the judge said that was disgraceful.
The tribunal also formally ruled that the Taoiseach was not prejudiced by the non-circulation of correspondence with a number of stockbroking firms regarding Fianna Fáil fundraising activities.
NCB stockbroker Padraic O'Connor told the tribunal in October 2006 that as far as he was concerned a number of approaches were made to other firms and a competitor to make a donation to Mr Ahern's constituency.
Following on from that allegation, the tribunal wrote to 11 firms seeking information about possible approaches made by Des Richardson. Yesterday counsel for Mr Ahern argued that the failure to disclose this correspondence was manifestly unfair.
Mr Maguire accused the tribunal of being an increasingly intrusive inquiry that had little to do with Quarryvale and allegations made by developer Tom Gilmartin.
Judge Mahon said the tribunal was satisfied that it was appropriate for the documents not to have been disclosed.
He said the tribunal does not believe that Mr Ahern is being treated unfairly.
He said that the tribunal will facilitate the cross examination of Mr O'Connor by counsel for Mr Ahern if they wish, but he said the tribunal was conscious that counsel chose not to cross-examine Mr O'Connor after his initial appearance.
Earlier, the Taoiseach said he thinks the public believes his testimony at the Mahon Tribunal.
As he arrived at the tribunal today, asked if he thought the public believed him, Mr Ahern said: 'Yes, totally.'
Yesterday he spent more than four hours in the witness box.
Labour leader Eamon Gilmore has said the Taoiseach's situation is now a 'national embarrassment' and called on the Tánaiste and other ministers to 'call time' on his leadership.
Fine Gael has described the latest evidence before the Mahon Tribunal as another blow to the Taoiseach's credibility.
Senator Eugene Regan claimed that the Taoiseach was 'clinging to threadbare stories, bereft of credibility, and increasingly becoming a source of ridicule, derision and scorn'.
