Bertie Ahern, the Irish Taoiseach, announced yesterday that he would resign next month, bringing to an end the most successful political career in his country’s history amid a deepening scandal over his personal finances.

The Prime Minister told only Brian Cowen, his deputy and most likely successor, before making the announcement outside his office, taking the nation by surprise.

His departure means that both the principal architects of the Northern Ireland peace process — Mr Ahern and Tony Blair — have left office. It also sets them up as potential rivals for the post of the first president of the European Union.

The Republic of Ireland is the only state due to hold a referendum on the Lisbon treaty, a vote that will be held a month after Mr Ahern’s retirement.

Expert View

The ordinary Irish have found it hard to believe that Mr Ahern was capable of accepting bribes, a charge which remains unproven

David Sharrock

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His financial affairs have dominated the headlines for months and he and his Fianna Fáil party will hope that his departure will remove any possibility that a “yes” result could be lost because of voters choosing “no” to punish the Government.

In testament to Mr Ahern’s enduring popularity, public opinion — expressed through radio chat shows and news websites — was strongly in his favour, with angry claims that he had been “got at” by the media.

The principal factor that has driven Mr Ahern from office less than a year after winning a third consecutive general election is the Mahon tribunal, an 11-year public inquiry into planning corruption that has put the finances of the Taoiseach under a microscope.

Investigators have unearthed payments totalling Ir£450,000 in 1994. Mr Ahern has admitted receiving gifts from businessmen but denies giving political favours in return.

Had he not made his announcement he would have faced more questions yesterday in the Dáil, the Irish parliament, about his finances.

His latest setback came over Easter when a constituency secretary broke down under tribunal questioning because she was unable to explain a £15,000 sterling deposit that she had made on behalf of Mr Ahern. The Taoiseach had previously denied making foreign deposits.

In an emotional and powerful speech, delivered while surrounded by his Cabinet, Mr Ahern admitted that his personal affairs had been at times controversial but vehemently denied any wrongdoing.

“I have never received a corrupt payment and I’ve never done anything to dishonour any office that I’ve ever held,” he said. “I know that some people will feel that some aspects of my finances are unusual. I truly regret if this has caused any confusion or worry in people’s minds.”

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