Failure to clean up politics ‘will haunt Ahern’

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern’s efforts to sideline political corruption allegations into the tribunal process are set to return to haunt him, a controversial new book claims.

The book, which is a study of Charles J Haughey's relationship with political power, also touches on his one-time protégé, Mr Ahern.

It contends that with the economic boom fading quickly, Mr Ahern's failure to clean up Irish politics, and especially his failure to ban corporate funding of political parties, will return to haunt him.