Northern Ireland Protocol

Ahern attempts to find common ground on a prickly protocol

The former taoiseach has been operating as a low-key diplomat by meeting individuals from all sides of the NI protocol debate, at the request of the former Northern Secretary Conor Burns

Bertie Ahern: ‘I personally feel the EU wants a solution and it is not looking for a win. It’s looking for a score draw.’ Picture: PA

While Bertie Ahern has been informally engaging on the issue of Brexit since 2016, the former taoiseach noticed a change recently when Conor Burns, the outgoing British Minister of State for Northern Ireland, contacted him at the beginning of the summer.

“I had three meetings with him in June, July and August. He was really doing the driving on finding a solution to the protocol since June,” Ahern told the Business Post.

“He has also ...