Skip to main content

Bertie's Bewildering Celtic Tiger Tips...

Bertie bags $40,000 - for tips on Celtic Tiger 'success'...

FORMER Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is charging American companies a fortune to present a new lecture -- about how he transformed our economy in the Celtic Tiger boom.

The man targeted by many as the architect of our crippling recession, is charging more than $40,000 (€27,554) a time for speaking engagements with the elite Washington Speakers Bureau.

During the lecture, Mr Ahern offers tips to bosses of leading firms on how to be competitive.

The former Fianna Fail leader has been employed for a number of years as one of the highest-paid speakers with the bureau -- whose motto is 'Connecting you with the world's greatest minds' .

In his latest lecture -- entitled 'Prime Minister as CEO' -- he tells listeners to adopt Ireland's Celtic Tiger as a model of economic growth.

Last night it was described as "bewildering".

Bosses of the bureau refused to reveal the number of times Mr Ahern has been hired for engagements.

However, a well-placed source said he is now one of the most sought-after of the 346 speakers on their books.

His fee, which is listed as being more than US$40,000, is in the top bracket and shared by just 57 other mostly American speakers, including former US President George W Bush.

A gushing profile, listed on the website of the bureau, pays tribute to what many regard as Mr Ahern's greatest achievement in office -- his key role in forging the Good Friday Agreement.

But it is his speech on the economy which promises to reveal how Irish citizens accepted "short-term sacrifices to achieve long-term gain", which has raised most eyebrows.

The outline of the speech reads: "Leading the turnaround of an entire country is akin to the constant evolution companies and organisations must undergo to remain competitive.

"Bertie Ahern dedicated his career to re-inventing his country's economic and political stakes in global affairs. He persuaded his fellow politicians and citizens to accept short-term sacrifices to achieve long-term gain.

"His ability to persuade his constituents to follow his vision provides lessons for even the most seasoned executives."

In this thought-provoking presentation, Mr Ahern describes:

?His approach to developing and executing a successful long-term vision.

?How to persuade employees, customers and stakeholders to participate and embrace change.

?What every leader must do to achieve large-scale success.

?How to successfully bring people with you by building consensus.

Labour TD Ciaran Lynch last night said he was astonished that companies would want to employ Mr Ahern to give them advice on how to be competitive.

And he said the news would sit badly with the majority of the Irish population, particularly people crippled by debt due to "the errors made when Mr Ahern was Taoiseach".

He added: "It's absolutely bewildering, particularly given the worldwide coverage of Ireland's economic collapse, that he's being promoted as a strategic thinker for companies.

"The mismanagement of the Irish company happened under his watch and it must be frustrating for the Irish public to hear about the huge payments he's getting for this speech, while so many of them live in desperate situations."

Mr Ahern also gives three other speeches for the bureau -- 'Leadership in Changing Times: What It Takes to Succeed', 'The Future Role of the European Union on the World Stage' and 'Peace Through Inclusive Dialogue: Ireland's Journey'.

Report by Nick Bramhill - Irish Independent

Popular posts from this blog

Ireland's Celtic Tiger Excesses...

'Bang twins' may never get to run a business again... POST-boom Ireland is awash with cautionary tales of Celtic Tiger excesses, as a rattle around the carcasses of fallen property developers and entrepreneurs will show. Few can compete with the so-called Bang twins for youth, glamour and tasteful extravagance. Simon and Christian Stokes, the 35-year-old identical twins behind Bang Cafe and exclusive private members club, Residence, saw their entire business go bust with debts of €9m, €3m of which is owed to the tax man. The debt may be in the ha'penny place compared with the eye-watering billions owed by some of their former customers. But their fall has been arguably steeper and more damning than some of the country's richest tycoons. Last week, further humiliation was heaped on them with revelations that even as their businesses were going under, the twins spent €146,000 of company money in 18 months on designer shopping sprees, five star holidays and sumptu

Property Tycoon's Dolce Vita Ends...

Tycoon's dolce vita ends as art seized... THE Dublin city sheriff has seized an art collection and other valuables from the Ailesbury Road home of fallen property developer Bernard McNamara. The collection will be sold to help pay his debts. The sheriff, Brendan Walsh, is believed to have moved against the property developer within the past fortnight, calling to his salubrious Dublin 4 home acting on a court order to seize anything of value from his home to reimburse his creditors. The sheriff is believed to have taken paintings from the family home along with a small number of other items. The development marks a new low for Mr McNamara, once one of Ireland's richest men but who now owes €1.5bn . The property developer and former county councillor from Clare turned the building firm founded by his father Michael into one of the biggest in Ireland. He is the highest-profile former tycoon to date to be targeted by bailiffs, signalling just how far some of Ireland's billionai

I fear a very different kind of property crash

While 80% of people over 40 own their own home just a third of adults under 40 do. This is disastrous for social solidarity and cohesion Changing this system of policymaking requires a government to act in a way that may be uncomfortable for some. Governments have a horizon of no more than five years, and the housing issue requires long-term planning. The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform was intended to tackle some of these problems. According to its website its remit is to “drive the delivery of better public services, living standards and infrastructure for the people of Ireland by enhancing governance, building capacity and delivering effectively”. So how is the challenge of delivering homes for people in 2024 and beyond going to be met? The extent of the problem is visible in the move by companies, including Ryanair, to buy properties to house staff. Ryanair has, justifiably, defended its right to do so. IPAV has long articulated its views on how to improve supply an