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Two down: Bertie Ahern officially resigns from Fianna Fáil

The party also received confirmation that Councillor John Hannon has resigned his membership.

26/03/12 4,517 Views 39 Comments
Bertie Ahern pictured in 2008
Bertie Ahern pictured in 2008
Image: Niall Carson/PA Wire/Press Association Images

Updated 12.10pm

FIANNA FÁIL HAS confirmed that Bertie Ahern has resigned from the party in a letter received this morning.

In a statement the party said: “Fianna Fáil has this morning received correspondence from former Leader Bertie Ahern confirming his resignation from the Party. The Party has also received confirmation that Councillor John Hannon has resigned his membership.

“Our special Árd Comhairle meeting will continue as planned on Friday 30th March to debate the expulsion motions being brought against those other individuals named by the Party Leader last week, and to discuss the review of the organisation in Dublin Central.”

The party expected to hear from their former leader today after Ahern revealed in the Sunday Independent yesterday that he would be renouncing his membership.

Earlier the party said that as soon as the letter had been received, Ahern will effectively cease to be part of the party.

The resignation of Hannon, who sits on South Dublin County Council, follows the findings of the Mahon Tribunal that he received cash totalling IR£1,000 in November 1992 from Frank Dunlop and £500 in 1999 related to planning matters.

The first payment was found by Mahon to have been corrupt.

Today’s developments mean that a vote will not need to be held on Ahern or Hannon’s expulsion at the party meeting this Friday.

The same goes for a number of party members – including former minister Pádraig Flynn and several councillors – who were named as corrupt in the final report of the Mahon Tribunal if they choose to resign beforehand.

A spokesperson for the party said today that it was not yet known if there would be further resignations before Friday.

Ahern revealed his resignation following the announcement by current leader Micheál Martin that a motion would be put to the Ard Comhairle seeking his expulsion.

Martin said the findings against Ahern were “extremely serious”. The tribunal’s report found that he had failed to truthfully account for payments worth IR£165,000 into bank accounts connected with him.

Even if all those who the party is seeking to expel resign before Friday, the meeting will still go ahead as planned as the Ard Comhairle votes on a motion to take assets in Ahern’s former Dublin Central constituency into the control of central party authorities.

- additional reporting from Hugh O’Connell and Gavan Reilly

More: Bertie Ahern describes ‘emotional wrench’ at leaving Fianna Fáil>

Full coverage of the Mahon Tribunal fallout on TheJournal.ie>

About the author:

Michael Freeman
@michfreeman
michael@dailyedge.ie

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Comments (39 Comments)

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  • Ciaro 26/03/12 #

    Reject his resignation and expel him.

    Reply
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  • Jay funk 26/03/12 #

    If he resigns he will be allowed rejoin in the future, they should bring a motion to ban him for life

    Reply
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  • Lorna Dempsey 26/03/12 #

    Lemme see now, Bertie Ahern on a penison of €152,331 p.a. + Ray Burke @ €103,838 p.a. + P Flynn @ €87,129 p.a. =€343298.
    €343298 / €100 Household tax = 3433 households to fund these shysters.

    I feel sick.

    Reply
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    • Dermot Purcell 26/03/12 #

      people dont forget cowen he is as bad if not worse the ahearn

      Reply
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    • Paul Beggan 26/03/12 #

      That’s all the corrupt ones (As far as Mahon is concerned!) no mention of “Les Incompetents” as the French would say! – Cowen, Harney, Coughlan (Grrrrr…), Dempsey, Andrews, Ahern a dó, Ahern a trí et al…. Jesus there are loads of the f*ckers living off the Fat of the Land…. (Taxpayers money – and CURRENT expenditure at that…. No pension reserve to draw from for them…..)

      Reply
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    • Fagan's 26/03/12 #

      What the likes of Haughey, Lawlor and Ahern Brian lenihan Snr did for money, the likes of Cowen and Brian Lenny jnr did for free. It is what is expected in FF, you back the friends and party loyalists at all costs, even if it means destroying the economy once more. That is what emigration is for, cleaning out children of FF voters but that is what the foot soldiers signed up for. Great patriots the lot of them.

      Reply
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  • Bernadette Dunne 26/03/12 #

    M. Martin could you please Give Bertie a message from me please?
    Resign all you like Bertie you and your kind will never be missed.But before you close the door behind you sign on the bottom line to hand back all of your pensions

    Reply
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    • Cal Mooney 26/03/12 #

      Mehole needs to go as well … Has anyone heard him explain this yet ???

      Tue 07 Jul 2005
      Ahern nominates Celia Larkin to join the board of the National Consumer Agency, the new body to promote and protect the interests of consumers.
      Ms Larkin was formally appointed to the agency’s interim board by Minister for Enterprise Micheál Martin.

      Reply
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    • Declan Carroll 26/03/12 #

      Yes. MeHole Martin “has” to go & all others still in FF who are associated with Bertie, Cowen & Co. No question about that. Their way ott pensions have to be taken off them. Their mismanagement of our country has us where we are today. Why are they being compensated for that ? Why wait for a referendum ? No referendum was needed when they savaged into our pay.

      Reply
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    • Fagan's 26/03/12 #

      They should be kicking Michael Maggot out as well.

      Reply
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  • Shane Mullally 26/03/12 #

    Still hiding in the cubbard!!..:-)..

    Reply
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  • Billygoatmuff 26/03/12 #

    Don’t let him leave. Feck the creep out.

    Reply
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  • Kerry Blake 26/03/12 #

    Don’t really care if he jumps ship first of gets kicked out by FF. How come someone like Bertie after those finding can still be a member of the Council of State for life?

    Reply
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  • Clark Hetherington 26/03/12 #

    reject that letter now and expel him so he doesn’t get his pension. its disgusting to think he still gets away with it all just because he resigns.

    Reply
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  • david whelan 26/03/12 #

    2 down, 20,000 to go!

    Reply
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  • Paul Doyle 26/03/12 #

    FF can’t b even near credible with M. Martin as leader, he was Aherns yes man for to long an lacks the moral authority n fibre to do the root n branch clean up of FF thats needed

    Reply
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  • Conchubhair Mac L 26/03/12 #

    There’s an important distinction between resigning and expulsion in that resigning allows ahern to dodge a lot of stigma. Stigma he should have to shoulder whether he wants to or not. Friday will tell a tale about where fianna fáil’s allegiances lie. Except that it won’t really, mores the pity…

    Reply
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    • Nuffsaid Thatsall 26/03/12 #

      Just have to wait & see how History remembers him! Could be a whole Leaving Cert. Question on him in years to come!!

      Reply
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    • Conchubhair MacLochlainn 26/03/12 #

      Ahern was marginally worse than Franco. Discuss.

      Reply
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    • Fagan's 26/03/12 #

      This is arranged with FF, if he goes in a quieter manner, they will ensure that every favour and connection will be called in to help him. Every string pulled, every judge or Guard who ever got an appointment thanks to being a relative will be leaned on. This is about the survival of the FF “family” and if you think they are dirty fighters normally, then you ain’t seen nothing yet.

      These people stood by him for 20 years, through mind boggling lie after lie. They were part of the culture and for many they were part of the corruption. FF elected reps are delighted that so few people were named and caught, it was the tip of the iceberg. They know it and de Bert knows it. This resignation is managed all the way.

      Reply
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  • jimbo 26/03/12 #

    Bye bye liar a televised speech would of been nice just to see you squirm

    Reply
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  • Bill Walsh 26/03/12 #

    So he resigned instead of being kicked out. What does it matter really if that was the worst that was going to happen to him. No criminal investigation or charges etc and he keeps his massive pension. When the end comes, would he like to be buried under St Lukes?

    Reply
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  • John 26/03/12 #

    FF have neither the balls or the backbone to expel ahern. Same ‘ol same

    Reply
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  • Mensah Mensah 26/03/12 #

    All politicians are the same…they never admit it..

    Reply
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    • Fagan's 26/03/12 #

      Classic FF line, even if your not one

      “Sure they are all the same, there is no point in doing anything, we might as well go back to bed or get drunk in the pub. Sure nothing will change, might as well leave FF there, woe is me, woe is me.”

      FF became a sumphole for every corrupt and on the make politician for the last 50 years because their voters and membership, backed their brand without reservation or thought. It was engaged in at the highest level of the party and became normal. They were in power almost constantly so why go elsewhere, especially. FF’s level of corruption are quiet unique even at a continent wide level.

      Course politics in Ireland needs to be cleaned up, but lets not pretend that FF are the norm, they are not. They are where the majority of crooks went to over the years aided and defended by the membership. Every party in Ireland has kicked out corrupt members, not FF.

      Reply
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  • Leigh crossan 26/03/12 #

    Who cares ,we all knew anyway!

    Reply
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  • Hugh O Connell 26/03/12 #

    The ongoing problem here is that what is going to be done about this in relation to all those concerned being penalised and convicted if found guilty of criminal intent, we are a great nation of saying this and that and that we are going to do this and that but in the end nothing happen ,Is there not one individual out there that is prepared to put a stop to this and clean this country up for once and for all as a nation we aint got the balls and all the politicians know this , its time for action not words, Ahearn and co are only the tip of this rancid manure heap,we as a nation deserve better and should stop accepting being all treated like 2nd class citizen by these politicians

    Reply
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  • Derek Rochford 26/03/12 #

    Who cares whether Bertie resigns or is thrown out of the Party, because the dogs in the street will always know that he jumped before he was pushed.
    I would say that Bertie decided to resign, because he may think that for him it is the lesser of two evils, as he is obviously afraid of the damage that is now done to his reputation!

    What is really hurting Bertie is the fact that he may now lose money, as he will be afraid that his ‘After Dinner Speaking’ deals will dry up and it is reported that he charges something in the region of $1,000 a MINUTE for this!!!
    I could be wrong, but personally I must say that there may not be too many people clambering for these services now!

    Reply
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  • jimbo 26/03/12 #

    I want him to apologise publicly

    Reply
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  • Bruce Cherrill 26/03/12 #

    lets face it, this was not a surprise. How many resignations have we had in government over the years? all of a sudden we have 2 maybe more. The benefits of resigning are no doubt several. Now don’t get me wrong, i know next to nothing about the benefits or pitfalls of what I am talking about, but as an average citizen looking at what is going on I would have to say this is a strategic move by Bertie. For starters, did i hear that a TD that resigns can get back into the party when things have died down again? I suspect that resigning has no ill effect on Berties standing in whatever communities he runs in, as he IS resigning. Is there some monetry benefit (I have to ask myself being cynical) to his position that should he be booted out, it gets cut off. M. Martin and FF, if they feel so strongly about firing people over this report, SHOULD deny the resignation and fire him anyway. Is it not a moral issue?

    Reply
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  • Fagan's 26/03/12 #

    Bertie is a shameless scumbag and a proven liar. Maybe he should be made leader of FF. Time to kick out M.Martin and get a 100% FF man in. Martin isn’t a proven liar and the money was just resting in his wife’s account and he has no idea who M.Martin is who met that developer with Bertie.

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  • Yvonne Callaghan 26/03/12 #

    He should be shamed by being kicked out, on second thoughts its no good he has no shame and a hard neck.
    He must not get another cent of his pension

    Reply
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  • Eimear Lavery 26/03/12 #

    I’m here listening to the Scala & Kolacny Brothers version of Creep as I read this- how apt. The lyrics never rang home so clearly.

    Reply
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