Aid campaigner Bob Geldof tonight urged Taoiseach Brian Cowen to take the lead in Europe in driving improved aid for the world’s poor.
The Live Aid founder also said Mr Cowen's predecessor Bertie Ahern would walk into a role as an ambassador in the fight against poverty if he gave up domestic politics.
"(Mr Ahern) is a pre-eminent negotiator. There's no question he will be at the moment the exceptional historical 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 and just staying the course.
"So if he ever did want to do anything in this area he doesn't need me or Bono to help him, he would be ahead of us. He would be a shoe-in for whatever he wants to do.".
Geldof, who was in Dublin to mark 50 years of the Irish League of Credit Unions, insisted he had never discussed Mr Ahern taking up the role.
He went on to urge Mr Cowen to make international aid a key plank of his Government.
"I don't want to sound like a romantic but he (Mr Cowen) seems to genuinely reflect what Irish people have been saying for a long time, that we are concerned about this and we want our politics to reflect that," he said.
Geldof criticised France and Germany and accused them of reneging on aid promises and insisted he would work with Mr Cowen to address the issue.
"Ireland in its position, what I would love it to do is gather the smaller countries, your Portugals, your Spains, your Hollands and you just say we are concerned about this and we are not going to be dictated to by your France, your Germany or your England," he said.
"I would like him (Cowen) to lead that, He has all the rights to do that. It's backed up by all the personal
charity support, it mirrors ODA (Overseas Development Aid) from Ireland, it mirrors political commitment.
"There isn't any point at which you cannot claim authority."
Geldof criticised Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown for refusing to hold a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty which plans for the way EU institutions are run in the future.
"They should be having the debate you are having in Ireland. Ireland is having this debate for Europe because no-one else is being allowed to vote on it," he said.
PA