The Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has said he would be "appalled" if comments allegedly made by Bertie Ahern calling some party supporters "useless good-for-nothings" were true.

Bertie Ahern is said to have made the comments for a documentary on Fianna Fáil which will be broadcast on TV3 next week.

A TV3 statement confirms that Bertie Ahern criticises some party members as “useless good-for-nothings” in the documentary and added that his former partner Celia Larkin, who is also featured in the programme, believes Ahern viewed power like “notches on a bedpost”.

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Micheál Martin said he was unaware of the remarks, but certainly would not agree with them and said of those involved in grassroots party support.

"Members of cumann are the lifeblood of politics…Whoever would make a comment like that…I would be appalled," he said.