Irish Election are pleased to announce our collection of Irish 
In what capacity?
Read more about: Bertiegate, Fianna Fail, Government, Tribunals
From RTE.ie News:
This afternooon the Taoiseach denied that he was in any way compromised by taking £8,000 sterling from a group of businessmen in Manchester.
Bertie Ahern told journalists in Cavan today that it was a private function that he attended and that he was not in there in his capacity as Minister.
Is Bertie trying to say that he, while Minister for Finance, was asked to speak at a conference in Manchester on the Irish economy as no-one other than Bertie “Joe Bloggs” Ahern?
Perhaps he can explain exactly what capacity, if not as the man in charge of the books of the Irish economy, he was speaking as.
Does anyone else think Ahern has been walking from one muddled comment to the next in recent days?
It’s probably too much to hope that anyone saved a poster for event, which doubtless said something like “A talk by Irish Minister for Finance, Bertie Ahern.”
I spent a while trying to find it. No luck
He’s been very quick to keep the details as private as possible but just like before he will probably have to cave in.
His man of the people routine is starting to wear thin and I don’t think people are buying it anymore, not as much as they had before though… I paid my own way just like I always do.
The simple question is this; would he have been invited had he not been minister for finance? Even if he was opposition spokesperson for finance no-one would have even looked his way.
Dragging up an invite or poster etc. with reference to his position would be a major punch in the gut for him, I wouldn’t be entirely surprised if something surfaces on it eventually.
does anyone realise what some of these clowns do every day ?
I read a newsletter nice and glossy from Noel Ahern in the last few days as his constituency is going to take a nib out of north-central in the next election.
He announced that he had officially opened Homebase their new store in Santry as they had moved from another address in Santry the Omni shopping centre
What in the name of god has that stuff to do with politics……
A friend of mine thought as we lived in Drumcondra that we should bring a community transport issue to B Ahern -i did not want to – he wrote and was told by telephone that ” he is not doing meetings only openings ” thats more of it
The Minister for Finance giveth and he taketh away
is there anyone more powerful ?
Bertie might have a bright future in the construction industry: he need only open his mouth and he digs himself deeper and deeper into the hole he’s in.
@mollie: The difference in this case was that he exploited his ministerial office for financial gain. Whether he, as he put it, did the talk in a “personal capacity” or not, he’s not supposed to. For your average TD, it’s different. I’m not sure about the situation for junior ministers.