The Taoiseach has confirmed that he has been having secret, private conversations with the former Taoiseach for a year.
And Mr Martin said that, “in the fullness of time,” the party leader who left in disgrace could be welcomed back with open arms. Mr Ahern was one of the most electorally successful taoisigh in the history of the State, serving as leader from 1997 to 2008.
But his service was marred after he left under a cloud when he resigned from Fianna Fail in 2012, just after damning findings from the Mahon Tribunal into his finances were made public.
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Ironically, his departure was spurred-on by Fianna Fail’s current leader, Mr Martin, who had called for the expulsion of Mr Ahern just before the tribunal’s findings.
Mr Martin said at the time his former boss had “betrayed the trust” of the party in his dealings with the tribunal. Mr Ahern wasn’t expelled as he quit before the party’s disciplinary committee could meet.
But after a decade out in the cold, the current Taoiseach is now willing to consider letting one of his party’s former greats back into the Fianna Fail fold.
Mr Ahern’s invaluable insight into the North as the Taoiseach who signed the Good Friday Agreement in April 1998 is one of the reasons the Taoiseach said he has reached out. Mr Martin said: “I’ve been engaging with Bertie Ahern actually over the last year and a bit in terms of rows over the [Northern] Protocol.
“He’s very involved in Northern Ireland politics, he maintains contacts with different groups.
“And from my view, that level of consultation will continue because I think he has a valuable insight. There are
people who have experience.”
Paying tribute to the former Taoiseach’s work, he added: “No one can take from him what he’s done for Northern Ireland and the peace process, so in the fullness of time, we’ll give that [his rejoining Fianna Fail] consideration.”
Fianna Fail TD for Dublin South West John Lahart said he was open to the idea of Mr Ahern’s return. He said: “Well, we don’t live in a cancel culture.”
The issue of Bertie’s return was first raised on Wednesday at the weekly Fianna Fail parliamentary party meeting by Senator Niall Blaney. He suggested Mr Ahern should be welcomed back ahead of the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement next year. He was backed by Offaly TD Barry Cowen.
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