FORMER Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said people can "yabble away" about his personal finances, but he has put it all behind him.

His comments came after Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin said that Mr Ahern still had questions to answer.

Mr Martin said some issues around funding remained unresolved in the wake of the evidence to the Mahon Tribunal – and Mr Ahern let people down.

"In terms of Bertie Ahern, I think the issue to do with the tribunal, to this day we still don't know fully what . . ." he said on Today FM's Ray D'Arcy Show.

"I don't. In terms of the funding, the money, I don't."

Asked about Mr Martin's comment that he still had questions to answer over his finances, Mr Ahern said that he had retired from public life and had put it behind him.

"I don't comment on that any more. I've forgotten all about it.

"They can all yabble away," he said.

The former Taoiseach was also proud of his daughter Georgina following the announcement that she was expecting her third child with husband Nicky Byrne.

"I hope that it's a healthy pregnancy, she still has a long time to go, six months, so once she's healthy that's what I care about," he said.

"I was with her today. The twins are six now. I was up for a cup of tea and a run-around, well they were running around me," he joked.

Meanwhile Mr Martin praised Mr Ahern's record in office on the Northern Ireland peace process.

He said his work with then British Prime Minister Tony Blair in securing the Good Friday Agreement showed a "singular focus".

Last year, the Mahon Tribunal report found Mr Ahern gave untrue evidence about the source of over IR£215,000 lodged in bank accounts connected to him.

Mr Ahern insisted that he told the truth to the Mahon Tribunal.

Irish Independent