No stadium is Ahern’s biggest regret

OUTGOING Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has declared the failure to build a national stadium his biggest regret in politics and blamed “small-minded people” for opposing the project.

In a wide-ranging interview yesterday, Mr Ahern also criticised the tribunals, defended Fianna Fáil’s support for developers, and insisted he had never granted any favours in return for personal or political donations.

Mr Ahern also said he had “a lot of friends in politics”, despite the fact many colleagues say he keeps people at arm’s length.

On the subject of the failed national stadium project, Mr Ahern said: “I am deeply upset that I didn’t achieve the development of a national stadium for the country and that is my biggest regret.

“The country needed it, the country required it. Lansdowne Road was put in the wrong place; we deserved a national stadium.”

He hit out at the “many detractors” and “small-minded people” against the project, but didn’t single out individuals.

Michael McDowell famously voiced the PDs’ opposition to the “Bertie Bowl” project, as it was known, prior to the 2002 general election, when he referred to it as a “Ceaucescu-era Olympic project”.

On the tribunals, Mr Ahern said they were unfair as they operated and it was time to scrap them.

“It seems to me to be unfair that counsel for the tribunals decide what evidence to bring forward and what submissions to make and when any controversy arises about this, it is the tribunal that decides whether counsel is right or wrong.

“I think the time has come to scrap them and the 1921 act [which governs them]; it is an act from British time, it is an act from a time when there was no fairness or justice for the small people, so it is my belief that the 1921 act should be scrapped.”

He reiterated his criticism of the Mahon Tribunal’s treatment of his former secretary, Grainne Carruth, and said: “If I could have done anything to defend Grainne’s good name, I would have done so.”

He also claimed one of the tribunal’s key witnesses, developer Tom Gilmartin, had put together “a complete fairytale” at the inquiry.

Mr Ahern again insisted he had never taken a corrupt payment. Asked if he had ever done a favour in return for a donation, he replied: “No, never. Not alone did I never do it, but I was never asked.”

Elsewhere in the interview, published in the Sunday Independent, Mr Ahern defended the support Fianna Fáil had given the construction industry.

“We built the construction industry up to a massive strength and it was playing a huge role in the economy … Despite the fact that there are so many detractors about developers in the construction industry, they are wrong, in my view. You need these people, you need them investing.”

On the reaction to his announcement that he would be stepping down, Mr Ahern said he appreciated Labour leader Eamon Gilmore’s “very fair” remarks, but indicated his displeasure at Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny’s initial reaction.

“What Enda Kenny said inside the House was very fair, but I think what he said outside the House, I wouldn’t have said about him on the day, that’s all I want to say about that.”

Mr Ahern said he had “a lot of friends in politics”, listing Charlie McCreevy, Brian Cowen, Micheál Martin and others as being “very close” to him.

He also acknowledged that when working for the middle ground, which was a hallmark of his political career, there had been compromises involved.

But he said: “I know some people, whether from the right or left, will say you could have achieved more if you had just decided to force it through. You might achieve it on day one but they’d get you on day two.”