FINE GAEL leader, Enda Kenny, yesterday defended his criticism of Bertie Ahern last Wednesday, saying that he did not want to be a hypocrite and start eulogising the Taoiseach after his decision to step down.
"We had a motion down since last September of no confidence in the Taoiseach and my view hadn't changed on that," Mr Kenny said on the RTÉ programme This Week. "I made the point, not being a complete hypocrite here, of not eulogising the Taoiseach once he made his announcement that the political reality was that all of this was caused by the evidence he himself gave at the tribunal and I am quite sure that if Bertie Ahern was to chose a time of his leaving it wouldn't be under these circumstances."
He added that on a human level he recognised that it was deeply difficult for Mr Ahern, but on a political level the reality was that he was being forced from office.
"The Taoiseach's evidence to the Mahon tribunal about bank lodgements was clear and consistent and he said these came from his salary cheques. The evidence given on oath by a former employee of his was directly contrary to that. When I heard that news I said to myself: 'This is over'." Mr Kenny said that he had not made any public comment after that evidence because it was obvious to him that the Taoiseach would have to step down, but he didn't expect it to happen as quickly as it did.
He added that the application and diligence that Mr Ahern gave to the job during his 11 years as Taoiseach could not be questioned. He added that his outstanding achievement was the way he had brought the Good Friday agreement to a conclusion.
