Bertie Ahern: Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael may merge due to lack of distinct policies

Former taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael could merge in the years ahead as there is now little difference between them in terms of policy even though he would not favour such a move himself.

Mr Ahern said a merger of the main partners in the current Coalition Government “could happen down the road”.

“I wouldn’t be voting for it, but the reality is that the kind of things that divided them for years have moved on, so yes, it could happen,” he said.

“You would be hard pressed now if you were to take down 40 policy positions from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael and find a difference — on a policy basis, there is not a lot of difference,” said Mr Ahern at the Daniel O’Connell School in Cahersiveen, Co Kerry on Friday.

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Speaking in an interview with former Irish Times Political Editor Stephen Collins, Mr Ahern said he grew up in a traditional Fianna Fáil household where politics was defined by whether or not somebody was for or against Éamon de Valera.

“Cumman na nGaedheal and Fine Gael were the enemy and that was the politics and the policies tended to be different,” he said. “Personally I think there are too many parties and Sinn Féin want to be left but they don’t want to be left and then we have the loony left so it’s difficult to see where it goes.”

Mr Ahern said Galway West Fianna Fáil TD and grandson of De Valera, Éamon Ó Cuív, had predicted that the next general election could be crucial in determining which would be the two main parties in the years ahead, but he could see Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael entering Coalition again.

“Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are neck and neck so if there was an election in the next six months, I think you would find Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael would still be trying to form a Government together — I don’t see either of them going with Sinn Féin at present.

“[But] if anyone in Government is thinking straight, there won’t be any election until the spring of 2025, they would be mad to go early and, of course, I’m a believer in always going the full term — I think for this Government, they need to go full term.”

Mr Ahern said it was clear that the country was facing challenges such as providing accommodation for Ukrainian refugees but he said Ireland had international obligations to meet in that regard.

Overall Ahern said the country was in “extraordinary good nick”, with good economic growth. He referred to the recent announcement by Pfizer that it is to invest €1 billion in its Irish operations and the fact some 6,000 construction workers are employed on the Intel site.

“I think the Government is doing well in difficult circumstances. Covid came on top of them within days and as soon as they were getting out of Covid, the Ukraine war started so it’s been a very trying period, I think they have done a good job.”

Mr Ahern said the package of measures they announced in the budget, including the energy package, was as generous as that provided by any country in Europe. He said this was reflected in the fact that Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Greens saw their vote increase by a combined 6 per cent in the polls.

“I think the government’s energy package is generous and it’s been helpful to old people, and I always believed you have to help people who are less well-off, and I think they’ve done that, and it’s helped that it’s been the warmest October in 100 years.”

“We are a small country, and we are doing remarkably well. The economy is growing and there’s full employment. They have to deal with challenges like the refugees, but we are doing well and they just have to be careful they don’t spend — there’s not a billion euros for everyone in the audience,” he said.

Mr Ahern criticised the Government for not being more robust in Dáil Eireann and said that while he was glad not to be trying to negotiate the Good Friday Agreement in the age of social media with Instagram and TikTok, he believed ministers should be tougher and more assertive in their exchanges.

“Jesus when I was around working for Charlie [Haughey], you were sent into the Dáil to fight — you weren’t sent in to be a bloody patsy and take the stick for others. If somebody said something, you hit back.

“I was taught to hit back and that’s what I did but now people seem to apologise for everything. I mean that’s like going out on the football pitch and a fellow hits you and you say ‘sorry’. That’s not what I was taught.”

Mr Ahern declined to comment when asked if he had any plans to rejoin Fianna Fáil, while he was also coy when asked if he had any ambitions to run in the next presidential election.

“The presidential election? I thought Macron’s vacancy might come up. When is that election anyway? 2025, Jesus, that’s a long way away. Number one, I have to stay alive and then ask me again,” he said.

Asked if he thought that retired politicians such as himself and former Fine Gael Taoisigh such as John Bruton and Enda Kenny might still have something to contribute to public life in terms of political advice and guidance, he agreed that retired and experienced politicians could play a role.

“Forget about me, but there’s a huge amount of able people who have gone through political life in this country and then just move off — I regularly meet up with John Bruton at various events and we politically disagree on most things, but we get on very well.

“He has a point of view which he makes very well — we agree on Brexit and we agree on most things on the North — so I think there is a role [for retired experienced politicians]. They do it far better in other countries, whereas here, if you’re gone, you’re gone.”