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.