Dermot Ahern

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Dermot Ahern (born February 2, 1955) is a senior Irish Fianna Fáil politician who currently serves as the Minister for Foreign Affairs. He has previously served as Minister for Community, Social & Family Affairs (1997-2002) and Minister for Communications, Marine & Natural Resources (2002-2004). Ahern has been a Teachta Dála for Louth since 1987.

1 Early life
2 Cabinet Career
3 The future
4 Trivia
5 Ministerial Career

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Early life

Dermot Ahern was born in Drogheda, County Louth in 1955. He was educated at the Marist College in Dundalk and University College Dublin. He qualified with a degree in law from the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland before embarking on a career as a solicitor. Ahern first became involved in poltics when he was elected to Louth County Council as a Fianna Fáil representative in 1979. He served on that authority until 1991. Ahern was elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1987 general election and has retained his seat ever since. The following year he was appointed Assistant Government Chief Whip in the government of Charles Haughey.

In 1991 the Minister for Finance, Albert Reynolds, failed in his attempt to oust Haughey as Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader. Ahern supported Haughey throughout the leadership challenge and was rewarded by receiving promotion to the post of Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach with special responsibility as Government Chief Whip. Ahern was simultaneously appointed to the position of Minister of State at the Department of Defence.

In February 1992 Haughey was forced to resign and Reynolds eventually succeeded in becoming party leader and Taoiseach. As a result Ahern lost his ministerial position and returned to the backbenches for the entire duration of the Fianna Fáil-Labour Party government. In 1994 Bertie Ahern (no relation) succeeded Albert Reynolds as leader of Fianna Fáil. Ahern once again returned to the senior ranks of Fianna Fáil becoming Chief Whip of the party. In 1997 Ahern was sent to London to check out rumours that another senior party member, Ray Burke, had received a payment from Joseph Murphy. The claim was denied and Burke was appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs two days later following the return to power of Fianna Fáil.

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Cabinet Career

Ahern was appointed Minister for Community, Social & Family Affairs. He worked hard in this portfolio and secured more funds for his department due to the sale of Telecom Éireann. As Minister Ahern also introduced the largest social welfare and pension increases in Irish history. He achieved pension rights for Irish people who had emigrated from Ireland prior to 1953.

Following the 2002 general election Ahern was appointed Minister for Communications, Marine & Natural Resources. In this portfolio he devised and began implementing Ireland's radical Broadband Action Plan. He was highly critical of the perceived failures of management and unions in the main telecommunications provider Eircom. He sanctioned a reform package for public service broadcasting in Ireland and introduced a Charter for Ireland's national broadcaster RTÉ. He introduced a programme to provide free broadband internet access for every primary, secondary and special needs school in the State.

Following a cabinet reshuffle in 2004 Ahern received the coveted position of Minister for Foreign Affairs. He is the first Louth TD to hold that position since Frank Aiken. In April 2005 Ahern was appointed one of four special envoys for United Nations reform by the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan. In effect the four envoys will act as Mr Annan's 'eyes and ears' around the world, presenting proposals for reform in the run-up to a special UN summit in September. Ahern will act as envoy to European countries, on top of his other duties as minister.

More recently he has announced the establishment of an Irish Volunteer Corps and a Rapid Response Corps which would harness existing expertise amongst the Irish public to assist in the developing world. As Minister he has also lead a national campaign to secure a path to permenant residency for the 25,000 - 50,000 undocumented Irish citizens resident in the United States.

As Foreign Minister Ahern has also been heavily involved in the Northern Ireland peace process. He has introduced free passports for Irish senior citizens.

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The future

Ahern is generally described as being an excellent minister and he is regarded as a possible candidate for a future leader of the Fianna Fáil Party. Both Brian Cowen and Micheál Martin are seen as the two possible contenders to succeed Bertie Ahern as leader of Fianna Fáil. However, Ahern is seen as a possible "compromise candidate" should such a scenario develop. Ahern, however, is reluctant to comment on his political ambition and has stated that he is satisfied serving as a Cabinet Minister at the moment.

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