Taoiseach confident over power-sharing deadline

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern expressed his belief that a power-sharing executive would be up and running by the March 26 deadline.

He welcomed this week’s comments by DUP leader Ian Paisley as very positive, and said a deal was within reach. “We are at the final stage of 10 years of this and we are within 10 days of an agreement,” he told guests at a luncheon hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.

“We are at a stage where people are being positive. Dr Paisley said some very positive things yesterday and I think people are up for it,” Mr Ahern said.