Bertie Ahern to earn €60k a speech on lecture circuit

BERTIE AHERN is to earn in excess of €60,000 a speech on the international lecture circuit, it emerged last night.

The former taoiseach has signed up with the US-based agency that handles his partners in the northern peace process, Tony Blair and Bill Clinton.

Mr Ahern indicated that most of his fees would go to charities of his choice after linking up with the Washington Speakers Bureau.

Mr Ahern is expected to speak at international gatherings about his experiences putting together power sharing in the north and the future of the European Union.

“We showed in Ireland that peace can be achieved through dialogue and relationship building. I will take that theme around the world,” Mr Ahern told the Sunday Business Post.

The Washington Speakers Bureau described Mr Ahern as a “new and exciting” speaker.

The firm also handles a diverse range of stars including Monty Python comedian John Cleese and former champion boxer Sugar Ray Leonard.

Mr Ahern revealed he would be supporting two charities at home and internationally now that he has more time available to him since becoming a backbench TD in May.

The charities are Co-operative Ireland, which builds ties between people in the north and the republic, and Turning the Tide of Suicide.

Mr Ahern said he wanted to support groups dealing with suicide after he apologised last year for an off-the-cuff remark in which he asked why people who talked down the economy did not just kill themselves.

Mr Ahern accepted an invitation to join a team of experts on conflict resolution set up by the World Economic Forum last week.

The unpaid role will see him attend a meeting in the Middle East this November.