Bertie Ahern criticises PM and Taoiseach in St Patrick’s Podcast

Bertie Ahern criticises PM and Taoiseach in St Patrick’s Podcast

5 May 2021

FORMER Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has criticised the British and Irish Prime Ministers for failing to meet formally as required under the Good Friday Agreement.

Mr Ahern, speaking on St Patrick’s Podcast, for the St Patrick Centre in Downpatrick, said that Micheál Martin and Boris Johnson were obliged to have regular meetings of the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference (BIIC) and suggested  “talking to each other” was not enough.

He rejected their response to his previous criticism on the matter.

“Both of them said they had been talking. That’s not the same as having a formal British Irish Intergovernmental Conference with officials and an agenda,” he said.

“I have no objection if they want to talk every day.  That’s a good idea, but I think the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement should be followed and that means there should be a BIIC on a regular and frequent basis. That is what was signed.”

Speaking weeks after street violence by loyalist protesters erupted in Belfast over issues related to Brexit and the NI Protocol, Mr Ahern said BIIC meetings were very important. 

“It does concern me that we haven’t had a British Irish Intergovernmental Conference for a long, long time, maybe a few years.”

Mr Ahern was interviewed by former BBC political correspondent Martina Purdy and former barrister Elaine Kelly, who spoke to the former Taoiseach about peace-building, faith and St Patrick.

“The two governments, the British and Irish governments are the custodians of the Agreement. They are not meeting to discuss these issues. That clearly is not in line with the agreement.”

“I am not using any other words than what the Agreement used… The agreement says that there must be frequent meetings and you know that should be happening.

“They don’t have to be for long. They can be on zoom, Microsoft teams anything you like. They should be having these meetings and where there are difficulties they should be dealing with at those meetings.”

“In the absence of those meetings, things can drift. Quite frankly I don’t understand why those meetings can’t take place.”

“I don’t expect the British Prime Minister and the Taoiseach to have a meeting all day – they don’t have to do that. They could have a meeting for an hour and half. That’s not going to kill anybody.

He said other officials or ministers or institutions within departmental structures could then follow through with the issues.

Mr Ahern also spoke about the future of the Catholic Church in Ireland, where he said there must be more involvement of the laity.

He said his faith was important to him. “You don’t want to overplay it because you are attacked now if you do that.

“Religion is important to me. I am a believer and I understand it and I read about it and I think it’s part of my life and I often think that a lot of people, who have a lot of problems and difficulties - it is because they don’t have it. All I can do is pray for them.”

During lockdown Mr Ahern shared how he went to mass regularly from his kitchen in Drumcondra, sharing masses online from Clonard monastery in Belfast, as well as Derry, Cork and Dublin.

He said lockdown had given people time to reflect and enjoy walking, something he really enjoys.

He told the podcasters — former Sisters of Adoration who are now pilgrim guides on Saint Patrick’s Way Downpatrick — that “he would love to come” and walk the Irish Camino with them.

He revealed he had spent nine months of the lockdown reading The Annals of the Four Masters, chronicles of medieval Irish history.

Mr Ahern described it as a “tough read”, admitting he could only manage 30 pages a day.

Asked what he would like to banish from Ireland, in the  Spirit of St Patrick, he said “injustice and violence”.