On Sept. 26, Ahern admitted he received more than $63,000 U.S. in personal donations and gifts, at the time of his marital separation. The prime minister denied breaking any law, adding, "I was beholden to none of them and they were not beholden to me. It was a debt of honour that I would repay in full, and I would pay the interest on it. I have not paid any back because they refused to take it. I think they will now."

On Oct. 3, Ahern apologized for the situation in a 15-minute speech, saying, "It was not illegal or impermissible to have done what I did. But I now regret the choices I made during dark and difficult times."

........

Should Bertie Ahern resign?

Yes          32%

No           61%

No opinion   7%

Source: ICM Research
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,014 Irish adults, conducted on Sept. 28, 2006. Margin of error is 4 per cent.