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Bertie Ahern

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Patrick Bartholomew Ahern
File:Bahern.jpg
10th Taoiseach of Ireland
Assumed office
26 June, 1997
DeputyMary Harney
Preceded byJohn Bruton
ConstituencyDublin Central
Personal details
Born12 September, 1951
Dublin, Ireland
Political partyFianna Fáil
SpouseMiriam Kelly (separated)
ProfessionAccountant

Patrick Bartholomew Ahern (Irish name: Pádraig Parthalán Ó hEachthairn) (born September 12, 1951), commonly called Bertie Ahern, is an Irish politician. He is, since 26 June, 1997, the tenth Taoiseach of Ireland, and leader of a Fianna Fáil-Progressive Democrats coalition government.

Ahern has been a Teachta Dála (Member of Parliament) since 1977 and currently represents the constituency of Dublin Central. He served in the governments of Charles Haughey and Albert Reynolds as Minister for Labour (1987–1991) and Minister for Finance (1991–1994). He also served as acting Tánaiste on one brief occasion, after the break-up of the coalition government headed by Albert Reynolds. Since 1994 he has been the sixth leader of the Fianna Fáil political party.

Early and private life

Ahern was born in Drumcondra, Dublin into a traditional republican family. His father Con, a native of County Cork, fought in the War of Independence and in the Civil War, and had been a supporter of Éamon de Valera and the Anti-Treaty IRA. His mother, Julia, was also a native of the County Cork. Both were members of the IRA for decades afterwards, and Ahern can remember guns being hidden around the house, and Garda Special Branch officers coming to question his father when he was a child. Ahern was educated at St. Patrick's National School in Drumcondra, St. Aidan's Christian Brothers in Whitehall, Dublin Institute of Technology and has also claimed to have been educated at University College Dublin and the London School of Economics, but apparently did not receive qualifications from these universities. Ahern worked in the Accounts Department of the Mater Hospital, Dublin.

By 1972 Ahern had met his wife-to-be, Miriam Kelly, a bank official who lived just around the corner from the Aherns in Dublin postal district 9. The couple were married on Ahern's 24th birthday in 1975. However, juggling political and personal lives proved too much for the couple. The strains were clearly visible when Ahern became Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1986 and the pressure of a Cabinet position drove the couple even further apart. They separated in 1992 but remain on good terms. Until 2003, Ahern maintained a relationship with Celia Larkin, a Fianna Fáil activist whom he met in the 1980s. However, they split in mid-2003. Ahern has two daughters from his marriage: Georgina and Cecelia, the former the wife of Westlife member Nicky Byrne and the latter a best-selling romantic novelist.

His daughter Georgina's marriage to Westlife's Nicky Byrne stimulated gossip. The decision by the couple to marry in France instead of Ireland, the cost of the wedding, the show-business aspect, and the selling of the wedding pictures to the magazine Hello!, all caused controversy.

Ahern is a practising Roman Catholic. He visited Lourdes twice with his late mother and attends Mass every Saturday evening in the Pro Cathedral in Dublin. He also routinely abstains from alcohol during November each year. However, he was publicly criticised by the then Archbishop of Dublin Desmond Cardinal Connell for the public nature of his relationship with Celia Larkin. In the Archbishop's view, a separated father living with a mistress gave bad example to young people aspiring to a leadership position. Larkin was appointed to the board of the National Consumer Agency in July 2005, on the recommendation of Ahern's department.

Ahern is also an avid sports fan. He is a keen supporter of Dublin GAA teams and Manchester United soccer club, and attends matches at Croke Park and Lansdowne Road regularly.

His brothers Noel Ahern and Maurice Ahern are also active in politics.

Early political career

Ahern's introduction to politics came at the age of 14 when he became involved in a Fianna Fáil by-election campaign in his constituency. He climbed lamp posts to hang election posters. During the campaign, Ahern met his political mentor and future Taoiseach, Charles Haughey. Ahern became a full member of Fianna Fáil at the age of 17 and in the 1969 General Election he helped again in the election campaign in his constituency.

Ahern's first run for elected office was during the landslide 1977 General Election, when Fianna Fáil formed the most-recent single-party government with a 20-seat Dáil majority, the largest ever. Ahern received 4,000 first preference votes and was elected with transfers from other candidates. In subsequent elections Ahern became one of the highest vote-getters in the country. He currently represents the constituency of Dublin Central.

File:Charles J. Haughey.jpg
Charles J. Haughey, former Fianna Fáil leader and Ahern's mentor. Described Ahern as "the best, the most skillful, the most devious and the most cunning."

During his first years as a TD, Ahern was an anonymous backbencher, but did display ambition. In 1979 when Charles Haughey and George Colley, both constituency colleagues, fought a divisive battle for the position of party leader and Taoiseach, Ahern is believed to have backed Haughey. Ahern had served on a health committee with Haughey in the mid-1970s and was impressed by him even then. Following Haughey's victory, Ahern was appointed Assistant-Government Chief Whip.

In 1980, due to the illness of the actual Chief Whip, Seán Moore, he was effectively running the office, without a salary increase, enabling him to gain experience of the dealings of government. Ahern increased his personal vote in all three general elections of 1981 and 1982, even out-polling his running mate, George Colley, previously a candidate for Taoiseach. In the short-lived Fianna Fáil government of 1982 Ahern served as Government Chief Whip. Fianna Fáil were then consigned to the opposition benches for five years. During this period Ahern became Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Labour and, in 1986, Lord Mayor of Dublin.

Cabinet career

Minister for Labour

In 1987 Fianna Fáil returned to power as a minority government. Ahern became Minister for Labour, not considered an important portfolio. In the following years, however, it the department was important in stimulating Ireland's ailing economy. Haughey, Albert Reynolds and Ray MacSharry were involved in negotiating with trade unions and in making a national economic agreement. Although MacSharry and Reynolds were members of the Party's hierarchy, it was Ahern who was seen as the key player.

In 1989 Haughey called an early general election in the hope of achieving the elusive overall majority which had evaded him so far. However, Fianna Fáil, while increasing its share of the vote, actually lost seats. Fianna Fáil was forced into coalition government to retain power. The Progressive Democrats seemed the most likely partners and negotiations were led by Albert Reynolds and Ahern. Coalition was abhorrent to some members of Fianna Fáil and the negotiations were criticised. This prompted Ahern to quote John F. Kennedy: "We will not negotiate through fear, but we will never fear to negotiate." A coalition was formed with Ahern returning as Minister for Labour again.

1990 presidential election

In 1990 Ahern was campaign manager for the presidential bid of his cabinet colleague, Brian Lenihan. It proved to be Ahern's least successful campaign as the apparently unbeatable Lenihan lost to the Labour Party's Mary Robinson.

Controversy surrounded the revelation that Lenihan's public version of an incident involving the outgoing President contradicted the version told earlier to a journalist. Ahern's revelation, whether deliberate or accidental, that the journalist was Jim Duffy, lead to the reluctant release of a portion of the original interview. In the aftermath, Lenihan was sacked from the Cabinet and lost the election. Ahern was damaged in the short term by being seen as the first Fianna Fáil presidential election campaign manager to lose a presidential election.

In 1991 the Fianna Fáil/Progressive Democrats programme for government was reviewed. Ahern was a key player in these talks yet again. When all hope had faded of a return to government Ahern pulled off a master stroke and the coalition was back on track. This prompted Haughey to remark of Ahern, "He's the most clever, the most cunning, the most devious of them all".

Minister for Finance

In November 1991, Reynolds, then Minister for Finance, launched a leadership challenge to Haughey. Ahern publicly backed Haughey, privately knowing that Haughey planned to retire the following year. The challenge failed and Reynolds and his supporters were dismissed from the Cabinet. In the reshuffle that followed, Ahern was promoted to Minister for Finance. He was now the senior minister in the government and had the difficult task of preparing a Budget in just a few weeks.

Reynolds succeeds

In early 1992 Charles Haughey resigned. Ahern was encouraged by Haughey and others to bid for the position. He was apprehensive, however, and remained out of the contest, allowing Reynolds to become party leader and Taoiseach. It is believed that Reynolds and Ahern struck a deal in which Ahern would withdraw and thus remain in the Cabinet, to succeed in a few years. Ahern and Dr. Michael Woods were the only two senior members to remain in the new Reynolds Cabinet, with Ahern retaining his Finance portfolio.

Following the 1992 General Election Fianna Fáil formed a coalition government with the Labour Party. This lasted until late 1994 when Labour withdrew from government due to unhappiness with Reynold's candidate for Attorney General. Ahern briefly succeeded Labour leader Dick Spring as acting Tánaiste. However the government fell and Reynolds resigned as Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader.

Leader of Fianna Fáil

It was generally expected that Ahern would now succeed Reynolds as leader. Although former Justice Minister Máire Geoghegan-Quinn briefly sought support, Ahern was elected as the sixth leader of Fianna Fáil on November 17 1994, the first unopposed candidate since Sean Lemass in 1959.

Negotiations for a resumption of government with the Labour Party began immediately. It was widely expected that the coalition would continue and that Ahern would become Taoiseach. However, due to new revelations, the Labour leader cancelled the arrangement and Ahern found himself as Leader of the Opposition. He was hugely disappointed and was often outshone in the Dáil by Mary Harney, leader of the Progressive Democrats.

In the 1997 general election Fianna Fáil's campaign centered on Ahern's personal popularity. The party gained seats and formed a coalition government with the Progressive Democrats, with the support of four Independent TDs. On 26 June, 1997, aged 45, Bertie Ahern became the youngest ever Taoiseach.

First Government, 1997-2002

Early problems

Ahern's first government saw some teething problems during its first six months.

Firstly, Ahern tried to nominate David Andrews as Minister for Defence and as Junior Minister at the Department of Foreign Affairs. This was unconstitutional as one minister cannot be subordinate to another. Ahern was forced to retreat.

Secondly, in July, Charles Haughey gave evidence to the McCracken Tribunal on corruption confirming that he had received IR£1.3 million (nearly €1.6 million) in gifts from businessman Ben Dunne, which he had previously denied. This damaged Haughey's reputation more than the government's.

Thirdly, earlier allegations resurfaced about Ahern's Foreign Minister, Ray Burke. Burke eventually admitted to receiving IR£30,000 (over €38,000) in a corrupt payment and was forced to resign. Arising from those two matters, the government established the Moriarty Tribunal and the Flood Tribunal. Despite much scrutiny, Ahern has never been found to have benefited financially from any corruption.

These early incidents were just minor setbacks to a government that was only finding its feet. One of the high points of the first six months was the renewal of the Provisional IRA ceasefire, which paved the way for resumed negotiations in Northern Ireland.

1997 presidential election

Another controversy during Ahern's first half-year in office was the selection of the Fianna Fáil candidate to contest the Presidential elections of 1997. A strong candidate was needed to defeat the ground-breaking Robinson presidency. Also, the party was still sensitive about the loss of the 1990 election. Former Taoiseach Reynolds, seen as having made significant contributions to the establishment of the Northern Ireland peace process, and former Foreign Minister Michael O'Kennedy both showed interest in the nomination. Ahern, it is alleged [citation needed], had promised Reynolds his support if Reynolds first ran in the 1997 General Election. However a relatively unknown party activist, Mary McAleese, also sought the nomination. In a meeting of ministers, Ahern gave a typically ambiguous speech which seemed to encourage his Cabinet to support McAleese. McAleese was nominated and later was elected as the eighth President of Ireland. Reynolds was humiliated.

Peace process

File:BlairL.jpg
Ahern's closest international political friend is British PM Tony Blair.

A significant achievement of Ahern's first term was his part in the negotiation of the Belfast Agreement, commonly called the Good Friday Agreement, in which the British and Irish Governments and most Northern Irish political parties established an "exclusively peaceful and democratic" framework for power-sharing in Northern Ireland. The agreement was signed on April 10, 1998. It was seen as something special because not only was it endorsed by the political parties, it was endorsed also by the British and Irish governments and the people of the Republic and Northern Ireland.

Though the agreement has yet to be implemented in full, the ceasefires and political structures it created have encouraged peace. The negotiations also led to his friendship with the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair. On November 26, 1998 Blair became the first Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to address Dáil Éireann.

Economy

Ahern can also claim credit for the expansion of the Irish economy [citation needed] during his first five years in office. Increased prosperity and a better standard of living were the main results of the Celtic Tiger economy. The good economic conditions allowed his Minister for Finance, Charlie McCreevy, to deliver several generous budgets.

Another achievement was Ireland's vigilant and swift reaction to the 2001 Foot & Mouth Disease Crisis. Only a handful of cases were discovered in Ireland and the government was generally praised for their intervention. A major outbreak would have led to the collapse of Ireland's agriculture industry.

General Election, 2002

Ahern was determined that the 28th Dáil should serve its full term, which it did, becoming the 2nd longest Dáil in history. The coalition was re-elected with an increased majority in the 2002 General Election on May 17. Fianna Fáil hoped for a majority but remained three seats short of the 84 required. The coalition government returned to power, the first time a government had been re-elected since Jack Lynch's in 1969. Additionally, the opposition Fine Gael party suffered devastating losses. The significant election victory was seen as a vote of confidence in the government and its policies.

Second Government, 2002-Present

File:BushBlairAhern.jpg
US President George W. Bush, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Ahern at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland on April 8, 2003.

Controversy arose when it was announced shortly afterwards that financial cutbacks were needed due to the drop in the international and Irish economies. This contradicted Fianna Fáil's promise during the election campaign when Finance Minister McCreevy was quoted several times saying that "no cutbacks, secret or otherwise, were planned". The government was accused of lying to the public, particularly concerning the war in Iraq (see below), and Ahern was booed at several public events, including a Croke Park GAA match and at the opening of the 2003 Special Olympics. The government fell badly in the polls and Ahern's popularity dropped to its minimum.

In 2003, the government suffered more controversy when it became public that US military aircraft, carrying large numbers of troops, were refuelling at Shannon Airport, despite strong public oppoposition to the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. The Government had maintained that troops had not used Shannon but when this was disproven, it then claimed that such permission had been available for 50 years.

When America invaded Iraq, there were rumours [citation needed] that he had twisted Ahern's arm over a bowl of shamrock during the St Patrick's Day celebration in Washington. After Aherne's return, the Dáil allowed to the Government to sanction the fuelling, an act that caused public outcry and a six hour blockade of the Dáil. The use of the riot squad outside Parliament buildings was a first as was the arrest of scores of protestors, including some Dáil deputies.

The drop in opinion polls for Ahern and his government after the 2002 election was followed in 2004 by Fianna Fáil's worst local election results in 80 years. Despite speculation, no leadership challenge occured and Ahern soon recovered in the polls. His reputation for inaction in changing Cabinet ministers ended with his long-heralded 2004 Cabinet reshuffle which earned him the nickname, "the Tipp-Ex Taoiseach" after his failed attempt to sack Séamus Brennan from the Cabinet. The reshuffle was not as extensive as some had hoped as only three new members entered government.

File:Bertie ahern with bush.jpg
President George W. Bush accepts a bowl of shamrock from Taoiseach Bertie Ahern during a ceremony celebrating St. Patrick's Day in 2005.

The unpopular phase seemed short-lived as the government rearranged its priorities and as the economy grew. A notable law enacted by this government was the ban on smoking in workplaces and enclosed areas in March 2004. Improvements have been made in the transport infrastructure with the launch of the Luas light rail system in Dublin, many new motorways being built and the break-up of Aer Rianta, the state-owned Airport Management company. But, after the demotion of the Minister for Transport, road deaths increased and the penalty-points system for traffic offenses yielded disappointing results.

Plans for a new terminal at Dublin Airport were so delayed that a third terminal is being planned before work on the second has started. A much-anticipated national spatial plan launched in 2003 has so-far failed to deliver any changes to the imbalance of development on the east coast, and the long-delayed decentralisation of government departments to the regions has also attracted been attacked.

In 2005, American use of Shannon Airport returned to haunt Ahern. The government learned the previous year that US plane N379P, which transported prisoners from Sweden to Egypt for torture, was spotted at Shannon on numerous occasions. Ahern refused to investigate despite several eye-witness accounts by anti-war protestors and statements from individual deputies and senators demanding an inspection of such planes on Irish soil.

By the end of the year, a slowly-reacting media joined in the calls for inspection and token acts such as calling the US ambassador to appear before a Dáil committee (he refused) and the attempted setting up of a Seanad committee to investigate the matter were all that were offered to quench criticism. Government senators subsequently blocked the establishment of the committee, citing fears of offending a friendly state.

One of Ahern's biggest achievements to date was his Presidency of the European Council (see [1]) in 2004. Ireland's presidency is generally considered one of the best [citation needed].

EU leaders agreed a European Constitution, there was recovery in EU-US relations, the EU formally admitted 10 new members, and selected José Manuel Durão Barroso as next President of the European Commission. Briefly, it appeared as if Ahern himself might become President of the Commission, however, he declined in favour of domestic politics. The treaty was subsequently defeated in referenda in the Netherlands and France.

Among other serious criticisms of Ahern's term of office were Ireland's entry into NATO's Partnership for Peace without a referendum, ratification of the Nice Treaty by the holding of a second referendum when it had been rejected in an earlier one, the waste of millions of euro on an electronic voting system that could have been tampered with in order to change results (it was later withdrawn), the serious curtailment of the Freedom of Information Act after the war in Iraq had begun, Government support of a Shell oil company pipeline that had been opposed by local residents in Mayo, galloping inflation in the cost of electricity, gas, water, rubbish removal, and in housing.

By March 2006 there were further numerous revelations of undeclared payments made to Government ministers, deputies and councillors by building lobbyists. The health service, under Tánaiste Mary Harney's control, was in worsening crisis.

In mid-March 2006, Ahern was part of a delegation to Dublin's sister city, San Jose, California for the "Spirit of Ireland Week" and visited companies in Silicon Valley. He also attended an awards dinner at the Fairmont San Jose Hotel. He went to Washington, D.C. afterwards.

In November 2004, Ahern celebrated ten years as leader of Fianna Fáil. In April 2006, he became the second longest serving Taoiseach, after Eamon de Valera.

The future

File:Martin Ahern.jpg
Then Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in 2005.

Ahern wants to win a third general election in 2007. If reappointed Taoiseach, he would be the second person to hold that office three times in succession. He has stated repeatedly that he hopes to remain in politics until he is 60, whether he is Taoiseach, a backbencher, or otherwise.

Coincidentally the 2011 retirement date Ahern has set himself coincides with the next Presidential election. However, it is doubtful that such an active politician would wish to accept the Irish presidency. In a newspaper interview in July 2005, Ahern said he would like a career in sports management or administration. Sport is one of his passions.

Two candidates considered contenders to succeed him, Ministers Micheál Martin and Brian Cowen, have stated their loyalty to Ahern and say they do not plan to unseat him. Cowen, now Finance Minister, is seen as heir-apparent whenever Ahern does retire.

Trivia

  • Ahern has been satirised as 'Anorakman' because his campaign literature in the early 1990's contained pictures of him wearing anoraks
  • Ahern is as poor public speaker, his tone and style of delivery is mechanical. When speaking off the cuff, he sometimes speaks haltingly. During debates and interviews, he gives indirect, vague, ambiguous or meaningless responses, a behaviour dubbed "Bertiespeak". In 2004, Joe Higgins TD described Ahern's refusal to answer questions as like playing handball against a hay stack. Your hear a dull thud but the ball never comes back to you[1].
  • Ahern has few close friends among his political colleagues
  • As of May 2006, Ahern is the 5th longest-serving political leader (European Council President-designate) among the 25 European Union member states, after Jean-Claude Juncker (1995-next election June 2009), Jacques Chirac (1995-next election 2007), Göran Persson (1996-next election Sep 2006) and Tony Blair (1997-next election by Jun 2010)
  • Ahern drinks Bass ale in pubs in his constituency.
  • Ahern is one of the highest paid prime minister's in the world receiving a salary of €252,000 in 2006.

Quotes

  • 'The reason it's on the rise is because probably the boom times are getting even more boomer.' (commenting on rising inflation in the Irish economy) Reported in The Irish Times, 14 July, 2006[2]
  • 'I've looked up every tree in North Dublin.' (speaking of his investigations into Ray Burke's past)
  • 'This is a day we should treasure - a day when agreement and accommodation have replaced days of difference and division.' (April 11, 1998 - the day the Good Friday Agreement was signed)
  • 'We are not going to apologise for any small role we may have played in helping to remove a dictator who made his people suffer for 20 years, carried out horrific acts and didn't care about democracy. He is gone now, and thank God for that.' (May, 2003 - speaking of the war in Iraq and the use of Shannon Airport for US military stopovers)
  • 'We were always dead against the war.' (December, 2003)
  • 'To the people of Europe who are joining us today in the European Union I extend the hand of friendship...Today marks the triumph of your determination and perseverance over the legacy of history. For Europe, today marks the closure of one chapter and the opening of another new and exciting chapter in its long history.' (May 1, 2004 - European Union enlargement)
  • 'I'm one of the last socialists left in Irish politics.' (December, 2004)
  • 'What they were up to in those days were kept for the future. I'm not sure I know how legal it was...but anyway...ha ha ha.' (March 15, 2005 - Visiting the Tipperary Hill Irish neighborhood in Syracuse, New York)
  • 'throwing white elephants and red herrings at each other.' (a warning he used in the Dail once).
  • 'I never condemn wrongdoing in any area' (22-2-2006 in the Dail)
  • 'I never condone wrongdoing in any area' (22-2-2006 in the Dail) (Mr Ahern corrected his slip, above, during the same dialogue.

At George Best's funeral in 2006, Ahern wrote in the book of condolences, "With deepest sympaty, of the Irish Goverment, Yours sincerly Bertie Ahern" clearly misspelling the words sympathy, government and sincerely. [3]

Ahern's First Cabinet, June 1997-June 2002

Changes

Ahern's Second Cabinet, June 2002-Present

Changes

September 29, 2004: A Cabinet re-shuffle took place. Three Ministers, Charlie McCreevy, Michael Smith and Joe Walsh retire from the government. Three other Ministers are given what is generally seen as a promotion: Brian Cowen becomes Minister for Finance, Dermot Ahern is appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs and Micheál Martin becomes Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment. An Tánaiste Mary Harney becomes Minister for Health & Children. Martin Cullen becomes Minister for Transport. Noel Dempsey is appointed Minister for Communications, Marine & Natural Resources. Séamus Brennan remains in the Cabinet in spite of widespread predictions, becoming Minister for Social & Family Affairs. Mary Coughlan becomes the first-ever female Minister for Agriculture & Food. Three new members join the Cabinet. Mary Hanafin becomes Minister for Education & Science, Dick Roche joins the government as Minister for the Environment, Heritage & Local Government and Willie O'Dea becomes Minister for Defence.

Political career

Template:Succession box two to oneTemplate:Incumbent succession boxTemplate:Succession box one to two
Oireachtas

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Political offices

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Preceded by Minister for Labour
1987–1991 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Tánaiste
Nov. 1994 - Dec. 1994 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Arts, Culture & the Gaeltacht
Nov. 1994 - Dec. 1994 		Succeeded by
Preceded by President of the European Council
First Half-Year 2004 		Succeeded by

Footnotes

  1. ^ http://home.eircom.net/content/irelandcom/breaking/8313694?view=Eircomnet Higgins feels the new thud of Ahern response
  2. ^ http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/front/2006/0714/930304623HM1ECON.html
  3. ^ http://debates.oireachtas.ie/DZoom.aspx?F=DAL20060222.xml&pid=Bertie).
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