Ahern says North’s politicians marginalised

THE North’s political parties are marginalised and have no say on what is going in the region, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern conceded yesterday.

The Taoiseach said political parties in the North should now work hard to bring back the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive before the November 24 deadline set by himself and British Prime Minister Tony Blair for the restoration of devolution in Northern Ireland.

Speaking to news media at the IMI National Management Conference in Druids Glen, Co Wicklow, the Taoiseach made it clear that he and Tony Blair would take over the running of the North if the deadline was not met.

“We will just go ahead without them, they are marginalised anyway,” he said.

“The fact is that politicians in Northern Ireland have little say about what’s going on. They are there, they are working and they are paid. But you know, they are not in the mainstream, they are just marginalised people.

“Their views are not much taken into account by the NIO (Northern Ireland Office) or the British Government.

“You could imagine in Dáil Eireann if all the parties never met and, just like a residents’ committee, you could seek a deputation now and again to meet who is running the place. That’s not good enough in a democracy.

“What is being said is: here is a huge opportunity for the parties to take control, full charge of the assembly, full charge of the executive.

“Some of them will be ministers, they will be running the whole shop. There’s not a politician in the world would turn down that opportunity, I think,” he said.

Reacting to remarks made by DUP deputy leader Peter Robinson that Northern unionists never react well to threats, the Taoiseach said: “The parties should put all their energies into implementing the plans, nobody has threatened anybody. The only thing we are saying is that it’s about time the politicians in Northern Ireland got on with the job.”

US President George Bush has backed the stance taken by Ahern and Blair and called on all the North’s political parties to work together to restore power-sharing.

His statement also emphasised the need for Sinn Féin to sign up to policing in the North.

The White House statement said: “President Bush calls on all parties to demonstrate leadership and seize this opportunity to work together to restore the power-sharing government and resolve outstanding issues.”