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FORMER TAOISEACH BERTIE Ahern has appeared on an episode of The News Agents, a British current affairs podcast.
Ahern appeared on the podcast, hosted by for Newsnight anchor Emily Maitlis, along with journalists Jon Sopel and Lewis Goodall, to give his thoughts on the ‘Windsor Framework,’ the post-Brexit deal between the UK and EU to address outstanding issues related to trade involving Northern Ireland.
During his remarks, Ahern noted that the DUP could yet present obstacles to the passing of the Windsor Framework through the Houses of Parliament.
“I’ve no doubt, because I’ve been dealing with unionist negotiators for many years, they will come back with points of clarification, they will come back with points where they want to see what some of the out-workings of some of these issues have been.”
Ahern said we were likely now in for a period of the DUP seeking explanations and clarifications on points within the framework. “There’s no harm in that as long as it doesn’t become a lengthy process,” he said.
Asked whether he thought Boris Johnson would have been able to secure the same deal that incumbent Prime Minister Sunak has agreed with the EU, Ahern said: “I don’t. I think the position that Rishi Sunak took over the past few months has been entirely different to what was going on in the previous few years.”
“There was a sense in the European Union… that the Irish issue was being used to get concessions in other areas. Sunak took a different track, he got into meaningful and substantive discussions early on,” Ahern added.
On the subject of whether or not Brexit has made a unified Ireland more likely, Ahern said: “The reunification issue is straightforward. There will be no constitutional change to the status of Northern Ireland until the people of Northern Ireland vote for that change.”
Ahern has made a spate of media appearances in the last few weeks, launching his own podcast on Newstalk and appearing at a discussion event in the Mansion House to discuss the Good Friday Agreement.
His re-emergence into public life follows his official rejoining of the Fianna Fáil party, and has given rise to speculation that Ahern is considering running for president in 2025.
Ahern is set to receive an honorary doctorate from Dublin City University at a ceremony tomorrow morning, alongside founder of the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition Professor Monica McWilliams.
DCU will confer a Doctor of Philosophy (Honoris Causa) on the former Taoiseach for his role in the Northern Ireland peace process. Similar degrees have previously been awarded to other prominent figures from the peace process, including Seamus Mallon, David Trimble, US Senator George Mitchell, and former US President Bill Clinton.
McWilliams, as founder of the NIWC, was a signatory of the Good Friday Agreement. After serving as a Member of the Legislative Assembly in Stormont, McWilliams went on to a role as Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission for two terms.
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Safe to say I won’t be playing it again, at least until its transfer back to the Irish government from the current contract holder of Canadian teacher pensions fund.. Hope a syndicate won the jackpot!
@Sean Stevenson: what I don’t get is… before Christmas a guy from the national lottery said “ There is no guarantee that you will win” how many times can you throw a dice and the number 6 will show!? 1 in 10 throws of the dice. So how come they were able to guarantee there would be a winner on Saturday night!!??? Is it fixed?
@Sean Stevenson: agree I’m done too, it should never have been sold
@Brian Kelly: I think if no one matched the 6 numbers on Saturday night, they were going to go to 5 plus the bonus, then 5 etc until someone won.
@Brian Kelly: i think you will find a much larger number of people played. Over period of Covid19 the number of weekly players dropped hence higher odds. The incentive last Saturday that the full €19m would flow down enticed many more players. No conspiracy.
@Brian Kelly: Since it was a must win means that out of all the numbers been purchased, the top prize has to be from one of those numbers like a lucky draw. Thus it was a guranteed win.
@Brian Kelly: they couldn’t guarantee anyone picking the 6 numbers . All ” must be won” meant was that the 19 million was going into winnings, ie not back into the lotto fund( where ever that goes) and that means more money for match 5, 4 etc. The volume of plays probably at least quadrupled for Saturdays game and so that meant the odds of somone.picking the correct 6 was greater. If nobody picked the right six, nobody would have won the 19 million. But they did, lucky yokes.
@Marie Broomfield: if no one picked the 6 numbers, the jackpot €19m would have gone to those who picked 5 plus the bonus number, if no one had that it would go to who had picked 5 numbers and so on.
@Sean Stevenson: i will 100% be playing again
@Brian Kelly: total prize pot on Saturday was just under 28million. Take away the 19 million jackpot that leaves around 9million of prizes based on the sales for the draw. On Wednesday there was approx 1.19 million won. So about 7.5 times more plays on sat then wednesday.
@Brian Kelly: no. It had to be won even if no player had the 6 numbers drawn. Thats why so many played. 5 numbers and the bonus would have it also and to a lesser extent even just 5 may have won it with multiple winners.
So there had to be a winner.
Because so many played last Sat the odds of matching 6 was higher
@Brian O’ Leary: thanks Brian. There may well have been a few who did not understand what more winnings for 5, 4 etc meant alright. Good call!
I would still rather not win and live outside castlebar though
@BORT: whoever won might agree and move to the Carribbean.
@BORT: id say ur the pride of ur community, mr misery
@BORT:
@Brian Murphy: voted two years running
Betting 5 euro on a 100/1 accumulator every weekend and you will be turned down for a loan bet 5 euro on the lotto every week and with over a million to 1 odds is not considered gambling so you can still get a loan
@eoin carroll: Huddersfield Town will always let you down too :(
@eoin carroll: haha I wonder who was refused a loan… Try provident
Stinks to high hell. 1outright winner on the night it’s being given away plus 149 5 plus bonus. Where did all the money go for the last 6 months. And should we be let know how much was spent on last Saturday nights draw. Must have being a lot when their app broke down. ????
They win everything except SAM
Rumours have it that Enda Kenny won it and he is going to supplement his pension with it.
Let me guess, it was won by a syndicate of retired Canadian teachers living in Castlebar?
It’s ALWAYS Castlebar !
Probably swap it for Sam
Great publicity stunt by the lottery with huge buy in by the media, a big hula baloo over the normal amount being offered to win, a capped amount no doubt, why is it capped at all? Laughing all the way to the bank with the amount of extra losers that bought tickets, they’re just laughing at you, they probably had a record number of people playing certainly biggest number in recent years. Laughing at you I tell ya.
One winner,149 5 plus bonus.
Last Wednesday 3 five plus bonus.
Must have been a huge jump in players for the weekend draw.
Just shows your chances when 149 tickets were one off and only one winner.
@John Sleator: I sell the lotto and there was 4 times as many sales in our shop so win win for lotto and winners!
@John Sleator: 1.789 million to one to get the 5 plus bonus……. Crazy that 149 people won it. Very fishy considering its usually low single digits if any that usually wins that prize
I actually thought they had fixed it to win themselves. With the odds so high we were told it is nearly impossible to win.
By doing it this way it does not need to be shared amongst many people.
Why can I not submit my comment
@John Coyle: don’t know why .
Why does it have to be capped?? Why not keep increasing until it is won??? Makes no sense capping a progressive jackpot
The West’s awake , congratulations,bit envious the .
have your say