Bertie 'The Borrower' Ahern : the man who co-signed most of the 1,615 cheques drawn on the Fianna Fail 'Leaders Allowance' account from 1984 to 1992 - 'The Haughey Years' ! Our Bertie said he had no recollection of a cheque for £25,000 made out to cash and signed by him and Charlie Haughey on 16 June 1989 , the day after the State-wide election : that cheque was discovered in an account linked to Charles Haughey !
Only another 1,614 to go ....
...........meanwhile , as Bertie sifts through the cheque-books , the rest of us can dwell over his fine words in response to the publication of the McCracken Tribunal findings - " We owe it to the least fortunate of our citizens to ensure that public decisions affecting everyone's welfare are taken only on the grounds of equity and the public good , and to ensure that possession of wealth can never purchase private political favours . "
But what's a man to do - the rest of us are not allowed to "purchase political favours" (even if we had a mind to and could afford to do so in the first place!) and asking for them is , apparently , shag-all use as well : following one of his 'conferences' with that other global Statesman , Tony Blair , hapless Bertie was asked if he had raised the issue of British intelligence activities in the Six Counties with Tony Blair ; Blustering Bertie replied - " I have raised with members of the British government , including the British prime minister , many times , MI5 and MI6 . I say , with the greatest of respect , I am usually less wise after I have asked the questions than before ." (Source- 'The Sunday Business Post' newspaper , May 18 , 2003)
Indeed , Bertie . And it suits you to stay like that .
In her book 'Politicians And Other Animals' , Olivia O'Leary recalled how Bertie Ahern explained his Code of Ethics' in a Leinster House reply to Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny -
" Deputy Kenny , you and I are around a long time . The code of ethics here is that people get in here , and try to stay in here!"
A 'Code Of Ethics' to please any bank manager . We best leave Bertie alone for now ; he has a shit-load of cheques to sort through.......
