Michael Ahern (born 20 January 1949) is an Irish former Fianna Fáil politician who served as a Minister of State from 1992 to 1993 and from 2002 to 2008.
[1] He is married to Margaret Monahan and they have three daughters, one of whom, Barbara Ahern, contested the 2016 general election in Cork East for Fianna Fáil unsuccessfully.
[2] In 1984, he received his first major promotion when he became Fianna Fáil Deputy spokesperson on Transport in Charles Haughey's front bench.
After the 2007 general election he was appointed as Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with responsibility for Innovation Policy.
On 13 May 2008, after Brian Cowen became Taoiseach, Ahern lost his position as Minister of State and was not appointed to any other junior ministry.