Cowen gets Ahern’s backing as next Taoiseach

BERTIE AHERN publicly endorsed Brian Cowen as his successor as Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader for the first time yesterday.

Mr Ahern also firmly indicated Beverly Flynn would return to Fianna Fáil and become a junior minister in the five-year lifetime of the new Government.

He also restated his own intention to serve the full term until 2012. He will turn 60 that year, the age at which he has previously said he would retire.