Ahern would change agreement to restore assembly

The Taoiseach has said the Irish and British governments are prepared to make changes to the operation of the 1998 Peace Agreement in order to restore the Northern Assembly at Stormont.

Speaking to the Philosophical Society at Trinity College this evening, the Taoiseach said the moment to achieve an historic step in the history of Northern Ireland has now arrived.

Mr Ahern said if we can finalise the offer that is available from the republican movement, the DUP will have an unprecedented opportunity to consolidate peace and political stability in the North.

In what could be described as a signal for the DUP to cut an historic deal, Mr. Ahern said such an agreement could only be achieved with the full acceptance of partnership politics.

The Taoiseach said he and Tony Blair are prepared to make changes to the Belfast Agreement but not to its fundamentals if that is what it takes to restore the Stormont Assembly.