Ahern hits back over German interview on Mahon Tribunal

Mr Sebastian questioned the former Fianna Fáil leader about the Mahon Tribunal’s findings, which found he did not truthfully explain payments made to accounts connected to him.

However, the three-time taoiseach, speaking to the Irish Examiner, defended his position. Mr Ahern said he had gone out of his way to do the interview with the German show, between 28 media interviews recently on the Good Friday Agreement.

“I had about 20 minutes,” said Mr Ahern. “They [the show] said clearly it was the Good Friday Agreement and that they’d throw in a bit about Brexit and that was it.

“They made it absolutely clear they were broaching nothing except Brexit and that [the agreement]. It was very clear, it was the Good Friday Agreement and then they said some questions on Brexit and then they actually said if there was anything else, they would send another email, which they never did.”

The interview has prompted fresh questions about Mr Ahern and his suggestion that he may run for the presidency. However, Mr Ahern said that he is not worried.

“I stood up, I shook hands with him [Mr Sebastian],” said Mr Ahern. “There was no row, argument. And then they sent it off trying to get publicity for themselves. It was very clear, my offices were very annoyed with them because I only have one person in the office. I went out of my way, broke my neck to do it for them. They just didn’t honour what was agreed.”

Asked what if he faced more questions about the tribunal, Mr Ahern said: “I wanted to finish that a few years ago. I did a whole hour on RTÉ, a full hour with Miriam O’Callaghan. And I said: ‘That’s it I’m doing no more.’ You can’t keep going back and back.”