Adams: Paisley was 'cordial'

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has extended his best wishes to Ian Paisley after he announced his intention to quit as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party and First Minister in the Northern Ireland Assembly, saying he found Mr Paisley "cordial".

Mr Adams commended him for his crucial role in forging the agreement with Sinn Féin last year which restored devolution.

He said the new leader of the DUP and First Minister would have big challenges ahead of him and said it was important he came to those “intelligently and positively”.

Mr Adams said: “I want to commend the positive contribution Mr Paisley has made in recent times. The agreement that he and I made last March cleared the way for the restoration of the political institutions.”

Mr Adams said he found Mr Paisley to be "cordial" and "straightforward" while working with him for nearly a year.

He said: “Whatever people might say, his political career has ended with a good and positive legacy for the people who live on this island.”

Mr Adams said there was “a lot of unfinished work to be completed” including the lack of a bill of rights and other equality issues and he hoped the new leader would fulfil his obligations.

Mr Adams said Sinn Féin would work with the leadership and was not concerned that the change would result in instability.

“My only concern ... is that those within the DUP who are against power-sharing, and there are some, would use any instability in the leadership or any question around the leadership to set back the progress we have made thus far,” he said.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern also paid tribute to the Northern Ireland First Minister for his remarkable political moves in recent years.

“As somebody who lived all my adult life listening to Dr Paisley’s diatribes against us in the Republic, there were dramatic changes and he has to be given eternal credit for the fact that he has brought back devolved government to Northern Ireland,” he said.

Mr Ahern said the resignation would be one of the bumps in the road to stability in the North that was predicted last year.

“It will raise a test, I suppose, as to how solid the devolved institutions in government are and obviously the Irish Government will be doing our level best to work with whoever the successor is to the First Minister.”

SDLP leader Mark Durkan said: “Ian Paisley has been a larger than life figure in politics in Ireland. His resignation is the end of an era and he has my good wishes for his retirement.

“For too much of his career he was not a force for good and while he could be politically grievous, he could be personally gracious.

“In the past few years he has at last embraced the necessity for power sharing, acknowledged the benefits of north-south co-operation and recognised the need to overcome past divisions.”

The Orange Order paid tribute to the First Minister, saying: “Ian Paisley has strode across the British and Irish political scene like a giant for many years.

“No one could ignore his forthright views and while not everyone agreed with him, his personal commitment was never in doubt.

“He has been particularly supportive of the Institution during the current campaign of arson attacks on Orange Halls.

“We wish Dr Paisley a long and happy retirement.”