MUSICIAN AND co-founder of Live Aid, Bob Geldof, last night called on Taoiseach Brian Cowen to lead smaller EU countries in challenging others, such as France, Germany and Italy, to meet their commitments to the developing world.
Speaking in advance of his keynote address commemorating 50 years of the Irish Credit Union movement, he also said former taoiseach Bertie Ahern "does not need me or Bono" to help him get a job in the international development area, should he so wish.
Describing Mr Ahern as a "pre-eminent negotiator", he said he would be a "shoo in" for "whatever he wants to do in that area".
But he said Mr Cowen should lead smaller countries such as Spain, Portugal and Holland in trying to pressurise countries such as France, Germany and Italy into meeting their commitments to the developing world.
"Ireland in its position, what I would love it to do is gather the smaller countries . . . and just say we are concerned about this and we are not going to be dictated to," he said. "I would like him [Cowen] to lead that."
Mr Geldof said he had not discussed whether there may be a role for Mr Ahern in relation to international development issues. While they had spoken on the telephone, "he didn't say Jayz, Bob, any chance of a job?"
"He's a pre-eminent negotiator.There's no question he will be, at the moment, I think, the exceptionally historic taoiseach, Geldof said.
"There's a lot stands to him, and he is profoundly respected . . . as being a very light touch and a very, very energetic facilitator to stay the course."
In his speech, delivered at the Royal Hospital in Kilmainham, Dublin, Geldof paid tribute to the founder of the credit union movement in Ireland, Nora Herlihy, and noted that globally we are "running out of everything".