Ahern criticises comments

DAVID TRIMBLE’S abusive comments about the Irish State carry no conviction and are part of a bogus strategy, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said yesterday.

Mr Ahern was asked about the Ulster Unionist Party leader’s comments that Catholicism and anti-Britishness were the only reason for the existence of the Republic of Ireland. The UUP leader’s comments came in an interview with the Chicago Sun Times newspaper published last week.

The Taoiseach said he had previously reacted to similar statements by Mr Trimble by utterly rejecting such claims.