FORMER Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is to be asked to rejoin Fianna Fáil, just four years after the party's National Executive considered expelling him.
On Tuesday night, 30 members at a meeting of Fianna Fáil's Dublin Central branch unanimously passed a motion to invite Mr Ahern back into the fold, four years after he resigned from the party.
His decision to stand down came ahead of a meeting of the party's National Executive which was due to debate whether to expel him following the publication of the final report from the Mahon Tribunal.
Although it did not make any findings of corruption against Mr Ahern, the tribunal concluded that he did not truthfully account for payments of IR£165,000 made to accounts connected to him.
The former Taoiseach said he was "deeply wounded" by the findings, which he has disputed.
Mr Ahern served as a TD for the Dublin Central Constituency for three decades from 1981.
In the years since his resignation from the party, Mr Ahern has been seen assisting on canvasses for Fianna Fáil candidates.
Brian Mohan, the chair of the party's Dublin Central branch, said he would be informing Fianna Fáil headquarters of the decision and added that it would also be up to the former Taoiseach to reply to the branch by filling out an application form.
"Bertie is a vast vessel of knowledge with regard to winning elections so why wouldn’t we use him," Mr Mohan said.
