Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern has insisted that Government is four square behind the Taoiseach.
Speaking in Belfast this afternoon, Mr Ahern said some of the people criticising the Taoiseach are not, in his view, fit to tie his shoelaces.
The Taoiseach has described as 'rubbish' any suggestion that Tánaiste Brian Cowen was half-hearted in his defence of him in the Dáil.
Speaking in Vienna, Mr Ahern also insisted he had the total support of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party.
When asked about the timetable for his own departure, Mr Ahern maintained he had a mandate to govern until 2012.
The leader of the Labour Party, Eamon Gilmore, has called on Mr Cowen to urge Bertie Ahern to resign.
Speaking at the launch of the Labour Party's Bill on Agency workers, Mr Gilmore called on the Tánaiste to gather around him the senior ministers in Government, knock on the Taoiseach's door and tell him 'the game is up'.
He said they should make some arrangement with him to resign the office of Taoiseach, and suggested that it could coincide with his forthcoming address to US Congress.
Cowen accuses FG of witch-hunt
Earlier Mr Cowen accused Fine Gael of conducting a witch-hunt against Mr Ahern.
He was responding in the Dáil to a question from Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, who asked Mr Cowen whether he agreed with Mr Ahern's counsel at the Mahon Tribunal.
Mr Cowen told the Dáil that the Mahon Tribunal is simply 'putting forward propositions', which have not been corroborated, with regard to Mr Ahern's finances.
He told Mr Kenny that Mr Ahern was giving evidence truthfully and that evaluation of the evidence would be carried out by the judge, not by Mr Kenny.
Mr Cowen was standing in for Mr Ahern during Leaders' Questions as Mr Ahern is abroad on official business.
Minister Micheál Martin has condemned the Opposition's attempts to utilise the Mahon Tribunal to undermine Mr Ahern.
Mr Martin said on the basis of Mr Ahern's record, he has confidence in his ability to lead the Government and the country going forward.
When asked if he believes Mr Ahern's evidence to the Mahon Tribunal, Mr Martin said it was a matter for the tribunal.
He said the Opposition was criticising Government ministers of interfering with the tribunal and they are now trying to bring these matters up on a daily basis. He added that they cannot have it both ways.
