Reynolds attacks Ahern for accepting payments

Heinrich

Taken from the Irish Examiner. The last sentence is what I find interesting. The answers "dealt with" were never satisfactory and the matter is not really put to bed. I wonder if there will be a Tribunal for this one or do we have Ireland's answer to Berlusconi?

By Shaun Connolly, Political Correspondent
FORMER Taoiseach Albert Reynolds yesterday launched a blistering attack on his successor Bertie Ahern for taking financial loans and gifts while Finance Minister.


Mr Reynolds indicated the Taoiseach’s judgement in the matter had damaged Irish public life.

In an outspoken intervention that re-ignited the ‘Bertiegate’ affair which came close to destroying Mr Ahern’s premiership last autumn, Mr Reynolds insisted he would have forbidden his then finance minister from taking loans and gifts worth €62,000 from individuals if he had been aware of it.

“I always strongly believed that there was no way a member of a government should finance anything he was doing in that respect. I was Minister for Finance and nobody ever offered me money,” Mr Reynolds told RTÉ Radio One’s Marian Finucane Show. “Now, I know there were circumstances there, and there was a marriage break-up and what have you. But I still don’t think — and I think it’s bad for politics and bad for everything — if there’s a view out there, you know, that money can be got if you’re a minister or a Taoiseach, in relation to what you’re doing in normal daily life,” he said.

In another attack on his successor, Mr Reynolds, Taoiseach from February 1992 to November 1994, insisted he would not have allowed Mr Ahern to accept the payments if he had been told about them.

Mr Ahern was Finance Minister under Mr Reynolds when he accepted €50,000 in loans from 12 friends in 1993 and 1994.

It later emerged that Mr Ahern had also taken a stg£8,000 (€12,000) “whip round” from businessmen at a dinner in Manchester he attended in 1994. Mr Ahern said they “insisted” he took the money to help pay for the costs arising from his marriage separation.

Though he described the loans as a “debt of honour”, Mr Ahern did not repay them until after they became public last October when he handed back €90,000 — including 12 years’ interest — to the Dublin friends with the bulk of the money going to charity.

Mr Ahern claimed the revelations about the loans were part of a “sinister plot” to destroy him and the public rallied to his support with Fianna Fáil receiving a sharp boost in the polls after the matters came to light.

Mr Reynolds is known to have had a difficult relationship with his successor as party leader and stated he was “well and truly shafted” over the Fianna Fáil 1997 presidential nomination.

A Fianna Fáil spokesman said Mr Ahern, who is on a tour to the Middle East, had “already dealt” with the issues surrounding the affair.

partholon

could be opportunism on the part of someone else in the party gunning for a leadership role. correct me if im wrong but isnt bertie due up before the tribunals yet again over the quarryvale issue along with many of his ministers? if memory serves its supposed to kick off just before the election this year bar a court case by liam lawlors wife (something to do with private files that shes trying to block the release of but thanks to a prior case look like they will be)
i think this harkens back to the old story of bertie getting another 80k off business men involved in the rezoning issue that frank connolly got sued over.

if that does hit the fan before the election, and its no certainty cause the tribunals would be suspended over that period, it could be devastating for bertie and if FF lose alot of seats if could be the perfect time for someone jockying for position of party leader. seeing how albert feels about ahern he wouldnt be adverse to helping that guy out. wonder who it could be?

gandalf

Sounds like some of the people Bertie shafted in the past are getting ready for a push.

ballooba

partholon wrote:

if that does hit the fan before the election, and its no certainty cause the tribunals would be suspended over that period, it could be devastating for bertie and if FF lose alot of seats if could be the perfect time for someone jockying for position of party leader.

Or Bertie will just cry on Six One again.

partholon wrote:

seeing how albert feels about ahern he wouldnt be adverse to helping that guy out. wonder who it could be?

Cowen will be next FF lead.

Heinrich

gandalf wrote:

Sounds like some of the people Bertie shafted in the past are getting ready for a push.

Hopefully, if that is true, they will be successful.

How in Heaven's name can the better part of the population swallow the yarns that Bertie spews out? Dubious loans repaid with "calculated compound interest" after 13 years on the foot of a "leak" by someone out to get him. Whip arounds by guys whom he doesn't remember at dinners which were attended in a private capacity. Private capacity does not apply to a Taoiseach as Gardai resources are employed for his safety as a PM and not as a private citizen.

Crying poverty on the Dobson Debacle and not having a bank account beggars belief. How was he paid his salary? Brown envelope? Then his accountancy profession which is also in some doubt as the University does not appear to have any record of his finer achievements.

The bigger the lie the more credible it is!!!

Charlie's best pupil, a credit to the great man.

Macy

partholon wrote:

correct me if im wrong but isnt bertie due up before the tribunals yet again over the quarryvale issue along with many of his ministers? if memory serves its supposed to kick off just before the election this year bar a court case by liam lawlors wife

Bertie himself is going to court to try and block tribunal access to financial records from the period of his divorce settlement. This is obviously because he has nothing to hide, and not to do with it coinciding with the earlier revelations about gifts from builders.

Glenbhoy

Macy wrote:

Bertie himself is going to court to try and block tribunal access to financial records from the period of his divorce settlement. This is obviously because he has nothing to hide, and not to do with it coinciding with the earlier revelations about gifts from builders.

I think he did this months ago (well it was certainly up for decision, don't know the outcome) - incidentally, re that quarryvale tribunal module, chances are that it'll never go ahead - it's up for decision soon in the supreme court - good job those guys wouldn't have any political affiliations:rolleyes:

joebhoy1916

Does nobody think Its starnge that the then minister of fianace had no bank account?

Heinrich

joebhoy1916 wrote:

Does nobody think Its starnge that the then minister of fianace had no bank account?

nor scruples. He had a great mentor. Just make sure to give him your vote of confidence.

gandalf

joebhoy1916 wrote:

Does nobody think Its starnge that the then minister of fianace had no bank account?

Of course it is the whole thing stinks. The opposition should stand back and let this fester on within FF, I'm sure with proper media promptings the whole thing could explode again.

There are plenty of unanswered questions about the teflon ones finances from this period, morsels of which are bound to start trickling out again especially if the original source of the leak was within FF.

Glenbhoy

joebhoy1916 wrote:

Does nobody think Its starnge that the then minister of fianace had no bank account?

Twas all the money laundering requirements he implemented in the finance act of '94, he knew he'd never be able to comply with them - sure he probably had no utility bills (his mates paid for the esb and phone).

ballooba

gandalf wrote:

Of course it is the whole thing stinks. The opposition should stand back and let this fester on within FF, I'm sure with proper media promptings the whole thing could explode again.

Well, as Pat Rabitte said, they can't even comment for fear that Bertie's ratings will go up again.

Sleaziness and lack of integrity seems to be waht people value in their leaders in this country.

Heinrich

ballooba wrote:

Well, as Pat Rabitte said, they can't even comment for fear that Bertie's ratings will go up again.

Sleaziness and lack of integrity seems to be waht people value in their leaders in this country.

Leaders, did you say leaders?

The teflon one is showing how clever he is by bringing along two women ministers to Saudi Arabia. That is a master stroke.

Then some Gardai will be taking skiing lessons to be able to protect the President on her skiing holiday. The few lessons these guys will get will not make them profficient enough to handle any situation more serious than falling over their own feet!

Comparing the Harney one on Q&A last night to the usual Ceann Comhairle slanted moderating in the Dail shows her to be a burbling nonentity when up against O'Caoilan in a one for one debate.

Leaders indeed! More like mafia dons.

We could do with a statesman in this country.