Throw the book at Bertie and look at real story

I SEE from Bertie Ahern’s autobiography that he laments not spending more time with his family and not having worked harder at his marriage.

I agree so much with him. We would have missed so little.

Perhaps if he had been a better husband we might not have had the type of politics he worked so hard to cultivate, including the public service ethos he fostered of appointing people not for money but because they were friends. For this we have Neary-style bank regulation, Fás-like ethical governance, O’Donoghue-type endless waffle and excusing-making when caught.

Yes, all of this is down to Bertie.

Every time he walked into Dublin Castle with a tall tale about how he came by money, every time he dragged out the process of investigation, every time he declared himself a martyr, every time he blamed the media for questioning how business is done, he laid down the cultural foundations for the way public administration is performed in this country. Bertie Ahern was to anti-government what Martin Luther King was to civil rights.

The miserable legacy Bertie, Charlie, Seánie, Rody, Liamie (Lawlor) have left is clear.

If in doubt, waffle, threaten injunctions and, if all else fails, cry martyr. Perhaps all is not lost, perhaps there is some redemption, a happy ending.

Maybe Bertie might consider donating his book proceeds to the voluntary groups in Dublin Central that are about to have their funding cut.

He might also consider one other thing: the problem with the media is not that they ask too many questions, but not enough, and only Bertie knows how true this is.

Declan Doyle

Lisdowney

Ballyragget

Co Kilkenny