Martin described Ahern as a ‘bona fide operator’

Micheál Martin described Bertie Ahern as a “bona fide operator” who had done nothing legally or ethically wrong during the period when the then taoiseach was trying to fend off the tribunal.

While Fianna Fáil is now eager to distance itself from Mr Ahern’s toxic political legacy, the party did its best to prop him up after the tribunal revelations first emerged in Sept 2006.

Mr Martin, a member of all of Mr Ahern’s cabinets, was enterprise minister at the time, and among the then party leader’s key defenders.

That same month, after the revelations emerged, Mr Martin insisted Mr Ahern “did nothing ethically wrong” and “broke no law”, adding: “There is no way you can equate this episode in Bertie Ahern’s life with the millions paid to Charles J Haughey, or the hundreds of thousands paid to Michael Lowry.”

In May 2007, as the general election campaign got under way, Mr Martin said: “I have no doubt that the fairness of Irish people will emerge. They have shown previously that they understand that the taoiseach is not a corrupt man.”

Fianna Fáil was returned to power in that election, with Mr Ahern winning a third straight term.

However, his problems with the tribunal were continuing to mount. Nonetheless, Fianna Fáil and Mr Martin remained behind him.

In Sept 2007, after Mr Ahern had given evidence to the tribunal, Mr Martin again defended him: “I have known the taoiseach for many, many years and I have absolutely no doubt that all of his decisions were made in the public interest.”

In Dec 2007, after Mr Ahern had returned to give further evidence, Mr Martin was one of several senior Fianna Fáil ministers who criticised the tribunal’s line of questioning.

In an interview with Matt Cooper on Today FM’s The Last Word, Mr Martin said of Mr Ahern: “I think he has explained in fairly understandable terms the situation after his marriage break-up, the situation in terms of his providing for his daughters’ education and so on, and the whole situation about where he lived and St Luke’s.

“Now, to be honest, I found that to a certain extent unnecessary — that he had to go into that detailed explanation...

“I’ve worked with the taoiseach (for) over 10 years and I know that he’s never engaged in any act or political act that was in any way corrupt… he’s been very much a bona fide operator, who acts in the best interests of the people.”

It was only in Mar 2008, after further devastating revelations at the tribunal, that Mr Martin and other senior ministers in Fianna Fáil finally began to distance themselves from Mr Ahern.

Mr Ahern subsequently announced on Apr 2 that year that he would step down the following month.

Earlier this month at his first ard fheis as party leader, Mr Martin attempted to put clear distance between Fianna Fáil and the Ahern era.

“When the final report of the Mahon tribunal is published we will act without fear or favour against anyone who is shown to have abused their position in Fianna Fáil or in elected office. Action will be swift and comprehensive,” Mr Martin told the party’s ard fheis.