INSIDE POLITICS:The Taoiseach deserved his day in the sun and the acknowledgment of his Dáil colleagues, writes Stephen Collins
BERTIE AHERN'S farewell speech to the Dáil as Taoiseach was typical of the man. There were no rhetorical flourishes, no quotes from Shakespeare but, instead, a long list of thank yous to everybody, including family, friends, Opposition leaders, the press gallery and Dáil ushers.
The most popular and the most enigmatic political leader in modern Ireland concluded with a quote that provided a rare insight into his thinking. "Take life in instalments. This day now, at least let this be a good day. Be always beginning. Let the past go. Now let me do whatever I have the power to do." It was appropriate that the quote came from a Jesuit priest, Fr John Sullivan, who was born in Eccles Street in 1861 not far from where Mr Ahern himself grew up. That the outgoing Taoiseach reads his works every day is another insight into what makes him tick.
The ability to let the past go was one of the vital ingredients in Bertie Ahern's formula for political success. He very rarely lost his cool and never appeared to hold a grudge and no matter what the Opposition or the media said about him. Instead he frequently wrong-footed opponents by remaining calm and courteous in the face of every kind of provocation.
This ability was crucial to his success in persuading the social partners to agree to a succession of national pay deals and to persuading other political parties to coalesce with Fianna Fáil. It was even more important in his dealings with the various factions in Northern Ireland, whose attachment to centuries-old grudges was undermined by his emollient nature.
His rare political skills were recognised internationally when he managed to get all the EU leaders to agree on a constitutional treaty at the end of the Irish presidency of the EU in 2004. "I will never forget the final negotiations for the draft constitutional treaty, when 26 other heads of government and state, as well as their delegations, stood in applause of the Irish presidency," said Brian Cowen. "They knew in their heart of hearts there was not another politician in the room with the capacity to ensure the deal was done in the coherent way it was."
At home, letting the past go was also critical to Ahern's success in turning a bitterly divided Fianna Fáil into a unified and cohesive party. The hatchet was completely buried after the fractiousness of the Haughey and Reynolds years as Ahern appointed former internal rivals to key positions in his front bench and then his Cabinet.
This ability to put the past aside and look at things solely from the perspective of the day often stunned his supporters. Some of them were left feeling wounded as they were passed over for promotion so that former opponents could rise through the ranks. "Sacrifice your friends to placate you enemies" is a formula for ruthless politicians Ahern oftenfollowed.
A more serious downside of the conciliatory style adopted by the outgoing Taoiseach was that, while it made for consensus politics, that was sometimes at the expense of decision making. Controversial decisions that might provoke strong opposition from any segment of society, or any powerful interest group, were avoided during the Ahern years. It means that his successor is going to face a range of problems in dealing with issues from public service reform to pensions, from the health service to the management of the public finances.
The Labour Party leader, Eamon Gilmore, was right when he said during his Dáil tribute: "It is not in any way to underestimate your subsequent achievements to state you were in many respects a lucky Taoiseach who came to office at a time of remarkable opportunity." In fact it may be highly appropriate that Mr Ahern is departing, just as the long 15-year boom appears to be coming to an end. The challenge facing his successor Brian Cowen is to steer the country through the difficult patch ahead and he is probably more temperamentally suited to taking unpopular decisions than Ahern was.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny focused on the personality of the man he described as "a sociable loner" and avoided mentioning recent political controversies. "He is popular not because he draws attention to himself by being entertaining, anecdotal or great craic, but because he draws attention away from himself. He is always and everywhere focused on others. He is an absorber of other people's hopes, dreams and problems. He is a silent, supportive listener, rather than the life and soul of the party. He is a mirror of other people's needs." It was a fair stab at describing the Taoiseach's personality.
In the midst of all the tributes there was no mention of the reason why Ahern decided to step down more than a year ahead of his own schedule. The ongoing Mahon tribunal investigation was the elephant in the chamber last Wednesday but nobody would have been thanked for referring to it.
It was even regarded as bad form for the Sinn Féin Dáil leader, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, to refer to more prosaic political wars over the state of the health service.
The public might be forgiven for being a bit puzzled at how politicians who have been attacking Ahern for the past six months and questioning his fitness for office acted as if none of this had ever happened. It is the Irish way, however, to concentrate on the positive when somebody departs from office, or from life, and there is a lot to be said for it.
Bertie Ahern will have to deal with the issues that prompted his early departure at the tribunal. He deserved his day in the sun with the acknowledgement by his peers in the Dáil of his real achievements in office.