As a former member of Fianna Fail who spoke against his election to the leadeship at a meeting the night before the parliamentary party elected Bertie Ahern, and who ultimately left the party because of certain of his policy decisions, I think it's worth sharing my view of Bertie's legacy.

POSITIVES

The Belfast Agreement. Outweighs anything else he did, good or bad. I have a treasured poster of him signing the agreement, the one FF used for the YES campaign. At the time, I spoke out when I thought he was going to do a bad deal, but he delivered what we wanted, and saw the process through.

Social Partnership
Keeping FG out three times in a row
Destroying the PDs
National Development Plan
Science Foundation Ireland
Kept economy booming
Held line on immigration
Held line on abortion - the 8th amendment still stands
Gave John O'Donoghue his head on crimefighting
undid the major FF split, but at too high a price on policy





NEGATIVES
Failed to deliver fair deal to FF left
Promoted the FF right far too much
Didn't use the benefits of the economy to promote social democracy.
Failed on health
Failed on income tax multiband system
Failed to back Martin plan for Health Service and allowed McCreevy to bad mouth it in two briefings at Ballymascanlon and Brussels
Appointed McCreevy as Finance Minister
Appointed Harney as Tanaiste 1997-2002 when she did not have the electoral and Dail support to justify it.
Appointed Harney as Health Minister
Appointed Harney to cabinet 2007 when totally unjustified
Tax individualisation Dec 1 1999
Statement that "Articles 2 and 3 are gone forever", 1 Dec 1999. This is patently untrue. They have been recast, not deleted. This statement nearly derailed him in the party.
Reneged on manifesto committment to hold referendum on Ireland's participation in PfP of NATO, 1 Dec 1999
(the triple whammy of Dec 1 1999 nearly caused me to resign then)
HSE created 2004
Nice Treaty support
Lisbon Treaty support
Appointment of FG people to sensitive commissions
Complicity in extraordinary rendition
Allowing US war troops and munitions to use Shannon Airport
Associating himself with those countries who signed letter of support for USA actions in Iraq war
Ran party organisation down
Appointment of Michael McDowell as Tanaiste
Tacit support for Michael McDowell's release of certain files to newspapers
Support for divorce referendum 1995

I do not include the Mahon tribunal issues - they predated his leadership.