Dermot Ahern will not contest next General Election

bigneacy

Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern has said he will not contest his Dáil seat at the next General Election.


Dermot Ahern - Has been a public representative for 32 years
Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern has said that he will not contest his Dáil seat at the next General Election.
In a statement this morning, Mr Ahern said he had informed his local party organisation in Co Louth that, after 32 years as a public representative, he is stepping down at the next election.
He said he also informed his Cabinet colleagues this morning.
Mr Ahern said that following the 2007 election he came to a decision with his family that it would be his last.
He said he informed Taoiseach Brian Cowen of his intention in October and confirmed that decision with him last weekend.
Mr Ahern said that in the last 18 months he was diagnosed with 'a painful medical condition necessitating heavy medication'.
He said he has been advised that a change in his 'pace of life is essential in coping with this condition'.
Mr Ahern served as a councillor for 12 years, a TD for 24 years and minister for over 13 years

Another one bites the dust? It'll be fair game this year in the Louth Constituency... Two Stalwarts for the previous decade are no longer in the running. Do you think Fianna Fail will retake Mr Aherns seat? Or who will?

TommyT

Rats and sinking ships spring to mind.

amacachi

They were only going to win one seat anyway.

whelan1

yup time to go all the damage is done..... i tihnk it would have been hard for him to get re-elected , apart from the ever faithful , people are fed up with smug gits like ahern and noel dempsey

bigneacy

whelan1 wrote: »

yup time to go all the damage is done..... i tihnk it would have been hard for him to get re-elected , apart from the ever faithful , people are fed up with smug gits like ahern and noel dempsey

Like it or not, he would have got re-elected. He would have been one of FF's most popular in the country.

I never liked him, never voted for him. But I have to admit, He done right by us locally for the most part. But FF are dying/dead anyway.

indiewindy

bigneacy wrote: »

Like it or not, he would have got re-elected. He would have been one of FF's most popular in the country.

I never liked him, never voted for him. But I have to admit, He done right by us locally for the most part. But FF are dying/dead anyway.

He did a great job saving the local hospital....

Jake The Fat Ma

He has done nothing for this county.

bigneacy

indiewindy wrote: »

He did a great job saving the local hospital....

So did Arthur Morgan, Séamus Kirk, Fergus O' Dowd. Mairead McGuiness, Mark Dearey and the tens of thousands of protesters, countless petitions, debates and public meetings.

Don't get me wrong - the closing of the Louth Hospital was a travesty and an outrage and The Lourdes as its "cabable replacement" is a shambles. But...

The Louth Hospital was going to close the day the decision makers decided it would. No amounting of petitioning, marching or anything else was going to change that. To blame a hospital closure on one man is just ignorance.

I am not defending the man - I don't like him, I don't like his party and I don't like his tactics. I am just shocked at the level of naivety in your post.

whelan1

in fairness to arthur morgan he did alot more than dermot ahern in trying to save louth county hospital.... i remember dermot ahern on lmfm being asked the price of a sliced pan , he didnt know:D

indiewindy

bigneacy wrote: »

So did Arthur Morgan, Séamus Kirk, Fergus O' Dowd. Mairead McGuiness, Mark Dearey and the tens of thousands of protesters, countless petitions, debates and public meetings.

Don't get me wrong - the closing of the Louth Hospital was a travesty and an outrage and The Lourdes as its "cabable replacement" is a shambles. But...

The Louth Hospital was going to close the day the decision makers decided it would. No amounting of petitioning, marching or anything else was going to change that. To blame a hospital closure on one man is just ignorance.

I am not defending the man - I don't like him, I don't like his party and I don't like his tactics. I am just shocked at the level of naivety in your post.

Shocked that your defending him and calling me naive:eek::eek:, all the others you named couldnt do anything as they werent in power and the people of the town who campaigned tried their best. Did Ahern not state that the hospital wouldnt close while he was around. Good riddance to Ahern

CarrickMcJoe

Ahearn never did anything for the hospital and I think thats why hes doing a Bertie.
Its all to do with money as he will qualify for a lump sum (tax Free) of in the region of €150,000 along with his pension which will be around the same amount but if he stays in govt both his wages and pension will be cut!

Looks like we will have Jurry Adams to look forward to. Im no fan of the shinners either.

Oh and is the minister (Brian Lenihan) with the toughest stressful job in the cabinet suffering with cancer and hes not throwing in the towel!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He even had to hear that Charlie robbed the money for his own fathers treatment for his own personal use.

The Guvnor

I heard on the radio this am that his pension will be in the order of €132,000 per year which would be about €30,000 more than he would get in opposition.

This may have had some impact on his decision!:)

Biggins

The Guvnor wrote: »

I heard on the radio this am that his pension will be in the order of €132,000 per year which would be about €30,000 more than he would get in opposition.

This may have had some impact on his decision!:)

Says it all really.

Getting paid more for being out of work than actually in!
Sounds familiar!

event

yup, he failed on the Louth, but he did great work on the peace process and people shouldnt forget that. he also did a lot for the ilegal irish in the US

to those that said he wouldnt win a seat or FF wont get one, thats wishful thinking.

in Louth we will have

Seamus Kirk
gerry adams
fergus o dowd
probably a labour, maybe ged nash
then the 5th seat will be FF, more than likely Liam Reilly or james carroll, depending on who the party run with.

but he will more then likely get elected, whoever FF run with. Do ye al think the FF voters will just stop voting? some will, but most will do wat they've alwasy done unfortunately

10green bottles

event wrote: »

probably a labour, maybe ged nash...............

Do ye al think the FF voters will just stop voting? some will, but most will do wat they've alwasy done unfortunately

Nash is confirmed for Labour.
I do think though that FF are on a damage limitation operation in Louth and the party knew that running with Ahern was going to screw them.

geespot

dermot aherne would have been elected anybody who thinks otherwise is mistaken also its easy when your in oppisition to do all you can to save the hospital because that is actually nothing. if they had been in power of course it would have been a whole diffferent story