Biography: Taoiseach Bertie Ahern

Date and Place of Birth:
12th September, 1951, Dublin to Cornelius and Julia Ahern

EDUCATION:
St. Patrick's National School, Drumcondra
St. Aidan's Christian Brothers, Whitehall
Rathmines College of Commerce
University College Dublin

OCCUPATION & APPOINTMENTS
Bertie Ahern, T.D., was elected Taoiseach on Thursday 26th June, 1997. He was unanimously elected leader of the Fianna Fáil Party on 11th November, 1994.

OFFICES HELD IN GOVERNMENT

• Assistant Whip 1980 - 1981.
• Minister of State at the Department of Taoiseach and Defence and Government Chief Whip 1982.
• Minister for Labour 1987 and again in 1989.
• President of EU Council of Ministers for Social Affairs 1990.
• Minister for Finance three times, firstly in 1991.
• Member of ECOFIN Council of Ministers.
• Chaired OECD Ministerial Meeting in June 1994.
• Negotiated on behalf of the Government for the Programme for National Recovery in 1987, the Programme for Economic and Social Progress in 1990, and was involved in the Programme for Competitiveness and Work in 1994.
  

POLITICAL CAREER

• Elected to Dáil Éireann in 1977.
• Chairman of Ógra Fianna Fáil.
• Appointed Party Spokesman on youth 1981.
• Opposition Chief Whip and Leader of the House for Fianna Fáil 1982.
• Majority Leader of Fianna Fáil Group on Dublin City Council and Chairman on the Council.
• Chairman of Dublin Millennium Committee.
• Lord Mayor of Dublin 1986-87.
• Director of Bye-Elections for Fianna Fáil in 1980s.
• Director of Presidential Election 1990.
• Vice-President of Fianna Fáil 1983-94.
• Chairman of Party Constituency and Organisation Committee 1987-92.
• Joint Negotiator of Fianna Fáil delegation which negotiated the Fianna Fáil-Progressive Democrat Government in 1989, and lead the Fianna Fáil delegation which negotiated the Fianna Fáil-Labour Government in 1993.