Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has criticised Brian Cowen for failing to communicate with the public during the economic crisis and questioned the Government’s handling of the EU-IMF bailout.
In an interview with the Irish News of the World today for which he also writes a column, Mr Ahern said Mr Cowen should have kept the public informed saying "these aren't state secrets after all."
“I always took the view, and maybe it’s a difference in style, that you go out there every day and you talk to the media and do your bit… When I went, the guys took a different view… they wouldn’t go out very often and do the daily doorsteps… If you ask me, my view is you’re better doing it my way, but he opted not to do that,” he said.
Mr Ahern also expressed doubt as to whether the Government had “examined all the options” to try and avoid the EU-IMF bailout.
Mr Ahern announced last Thursday evening that he would not run for Dáil Éireann at the next general election.
The announcement brought an end to a Dáil career that began in 1977 and saw him serve as taoiseach from 1997 to 2008, winning three general elections in succession.
Asked by reporters if he intended to run for the Presidency, he replied: “I don’t know. I honestly haven’t decided that.” Asked if he was ruling out running, he said: “No, not tonight, everyone would love to be in the Áras. Only one person will end up there.”
Asked if he had any regrets, he said: “If I had seen the banking crisis coming. Nobody advised me, no economist, all those people now writing books saying ‘I told you so’ – none of them.”
On Anglo Irish Bank, he said: “I can honestly say that not once did anyone or any delegation that came in to see me ever say, ‘Watch out for Anglo’ . . . I wish they had have.”
Describing the office of Taoiseach as “the highest and the ultimate civic responsibility”, Mr Ahern said it had been his “great honour” to be entrusted with it for over a decade.
“I am proud of what I have achieved in politics and I am prouder still to have had the privilege to have worked with and for so many fine, patriotic and extraordinary people.
“It is not given to anyone in life who tries and tries again not to sometimes fail. Years of apparently great success then, are apparently tainted by great failures now, but the truth is more complex and in time it will be viewed more dispassionately. The raw emotion of real shock means it is too soon to take stock.”
Referring to the “great economic storm” currently under way in Ireland, he warned against excessive pessimism. “Some gains have been lost, but in truth many remain. I dearly wish there was no crisis. I realise that it would have been better if some things had been done differently, but I will not denigrate the good that has been done,” he added.