Ahern: Queen to visit in a few years

THE Queen of England will visit Ireland during her reign but probably not for a few years, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said.

Mr Ahern indicated there were loose ends to tie up before a historic visit by the monarch, the first since the country gained independence from Britain, could take place.

“As I have said many times before, I am sure a visit by the Queen will happen. I think it will take us some time to organise that but it is something that is being discussed and obviously we are going to see everything right before we do that. It is something that will happen in the next few years,” he said.

The Taoiseach made his comments at the conclusion of a summit of the British-Irish Council in Dublin. The council was set up following the Good Friday Agreement to foster co-operation between the governments of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Britain, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man.

Twenty-five senior politicians from the member governments attended the gathering in the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, during which drug abuse concerns dominated the agenda.

First Minister in the Northern Ireland Executive Ian Paisley and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness were among those attending. Mr Ahern, Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Eamon Ó Cuiv, and Drugs Strategy Minister Pat Carey represented the Dáil.

Describing the two-hour meeting as “another step forward in putting behind the past”, Mr Ahern said it had been a “very good, very lively session”, during which the members had exchanged ideas and experiences of tackling drug abuse.

He said alcohol abuse had also featured very strongly in the discussions and there was a feeling the members could combine their expertise and knowledge in promoting responsible drinking. “The same companies are supplying all our people,” he said, suggesting joint influence could be brought to bear in ensuring “good behaviour and best practice” by the industry.

The meeting also touched on the related issue of crime and Mr McGuinness raised the murder on Tuesday of 27-year-old Co Tyrone man Andrew Burns in Donegal.

“It was a dastardly deed, absolutely despicable, carried out by people who have no regard for local communities and no regard for law and order,” he said.

The next meeting of the council will be in Edinburgh in September, by which time, Mr Ahern said, there would be a permanent secretariat in place to support its activities.