Ahern meets Blair on North

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern and British Prime Minister Tony Blair will stick with their plan to restore a shadow Assembly in Northern Ireland before the summer, despite the opposition of Sinn Féin and the SDLP.

Speaking after the two leaders met in Brussels yesterday, Mr Ahern urged the North's major parties to cooperate with their plan.

"Politicians in Northern Ireland have to take responsibility. There is an opportunity coming up which must not be allowed to pass and might not come around for a long time again. So we would ask and urge them all parties and all sides to go with our proposals when we publish them."