Former taoiseach Bertie Ahern said this morning he did not believe his political legacy had been damaged by the economic crisis and claimed that international events were to blame for the property bubble.
Speaking on Newstalk radio, Mr Ahern said he was proud of his achievements as taoiseach and claimed that the collapse of Lehman’s Bank last autumn was more of a factor for the decline of the Irish economy than anything his government did.
“The property bubble, in my view, would not have been a great problem if it wasn’t for the changes to the rules in the banking scene internationally,” he said.
While he acknowledged economic conditions had dramatically worsened since he left office, he said the decline needed to be put into perspective. “There has been a huge slippage in the last year but it hasn’t brought us back to anywhere near where we were in the eighties.”
When asked about his legacy Mr Ahern said politicians could only be “responsible for the period you’re there”.