Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has added fuel to the rumours that he is going to run for the presidency in 2025.
Mr Ahern, 71, rejoined Fianna Fáil before Christmas leading to speculation that the Drumcondra man could run as the party’s candidate for Áras an Uachtaráin.
He left the party in 2012 after the Mahon Tribunal during which he claimed that he did not have a bank account when he was Minister of Finance. The Tribunal did not make a corruption finding against him but did not believe he was being truthful over certain money connected to him.
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During an interview with Newstalk’s Pat Kenny on Friday, Mr Ahern refused to rule out the possibility of running for the presidency.
He said: “The presidency is for another day. I’m on the Council of State for nearly 26 years.
“My job on that is if and when the President asks for advice that we give a duty on controversial legislation.
“We have a tradition here in this country that the presidency only arises within three months of the election. I have been a director of electors for presidential elections.
“That is for another day.”
When it was put to him that he had not ruled out the possibility of running for the Áras, Mr Ahern said, “No, but it is not an issue”.
He added: “I assure you this, there should be no connection between me joining one of the 3,000 [Fianna Fáil] cummans in Drumcondra and what might happen in the future.
“At this stage, I have no thoughts about the next presidential election.
“I am not ruling it out because I don’t think the issue should even be discussed at this stage.
“When it does come up in the middle of 2025, everybody who has an interest will have to express it. Whether I have or not then, God knows.”
Mr Ahern said that “all I have done is rejoin the group” that he was previously a member of and that he continued to meet members of his former cumman when he was not a member of the party.
He said that it always felt a “bit strange” when a party Ard Fheis or conference was held when he did not receive an invite.
When it was put to him that the Mahon Tribunal finding would be widely discussed if he did run for President, Mr Ahern said that he accepted that.
He added: “Mahon didn’t have any findings against me, but they did say they didn’t accept [that I told] the truth.
“Alls I wish is that the people who comment on this would also go on to say that some of my friends who they said weren’t truthful went to the court, won their case. They might update their old file when they’re doing these things.”
There have been several rumours since Mr Ahern joined Fianna Fáil that he is targeting a run for the Áras.
At a party event in Dublin organised by TD Jim O’Callaghan last week, Mr Ahern said that his main priority was staying alive until 2025.
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