Bertie Ahern not ruling out run for the presidency

Vivienne Clarke

Former taoiseach Bertie Ahern is not ruling out a run for the presidency in 2025.

Speaking on Newstalk radio’s Pat Kenny show, Mr Ahern said that while he would not rule out a bid for the Áras, talk of the presidency was for another day.

“At this stage, I have no thoughts about the next presidential election," he said.

“I’m not ruling it out because I don’t think the issue should even be discussed at this stage.”

He denied that there was a connection between his recent reing of the Fianna Fáil party and a presidential run.

“I assure you, there should be no connection between me reing one of the party’s 3,000 cumanns — because I was always there and d — and what might happen in the future.

“When [the presidential race] does come up, somewhere in the middle of 2025, everybody then who has an interest will have to express it. Whether I have or not then, God knows. It will come up in 2025 and I’m sure there will be loads of candidates from what I hear and whether I even think about, certainly if I think about it, you will hear about and if I don’t.

“I have discussed it with nobody. I haven’t discussed it with my best friends because it’s not on my agenda.”

Mr Ahern said he has been working with his local Fianna Fáil cumann in Drumcondra ever since he resigned from the party in 2008, the only difference now was that he was paying his hip fee.

“All I did was my local cumann. I didn’t take over as Taoiseach or anything.”

Speaking on the Northern Ireland Protocol, Mr Ahern has said that he does not think negotiations will be “wrapped up” before the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

He said that discussions were “getting near the end game.”

“I'm delighted Rishi Sunak is in the North today because one of the fears was that the parties felt they hadn't been briefed, they hadn't been given the details and they had several questions.”

Among the concerns to be clarified were monitoring points, where they would be located and the perceived lack of representation in Brussels.

Another issue, he said, was the sea border. Mr Ahern said he believed the concept would be scrapped.

Mr Ahern said he thought red and green lanes would work and would be accepted, but the identity issue remained for Unionists.