Busy Taoiseach will not campaign

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern has no plans to campaign for his party’s candidates in the upcoming local and European elections.

Mr Ahern, as president of the European Union, will be out of the country for much of the next two weeks on EU business.

His absence comes as Fianna Fáil faces the prospect of losing two of its European seats and a sizeable number in local councils. A spokesperson for Fianna Fáil said he may be able to do some campaigning in Dublin, but little else. “He has no plans to tour the country,” he said.