Politicians 'must continue to implement agreement'

Politicians must continue to implement the Good Friday Agreement to achieve peace and prosperity across the island of Ireland, Taoiseach-in-waiting Brian Cowen told the Dáil today.

Mr Cowen, who was elected leader-designate of Fianna Fáil yesterday, paid tribute to the courage and conviction of the people who signed the accord in 1998.

The main architects of the Agreement, including outgoing Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and former US senator George Mitchell, are meeting today in Belfast to mark the anniversary.

As he represented the Government in the Dáil today for the first time as Taoiseach-in-waiting, Mr Cowen said people should not assume that work has stopped on implementing the Good Friday Agreement.

“There is a huge job of work to be done for the spirit of the Agreement to be implemented as well as its provisions.

“The quality of the implementation is dependent on the spirit of the Agreement being embraced by all.”

Mr Cowen yesterday told his first press conference as leader-designate of Fianna Fáil that his party would continue its commitment to the North's peace process and the all-island economy.

In the Dáil today, he added: “In the Republic we should reassess our views in what ways we may become more open and tolerant so that others may not be so defensive towards us, in the interests of political progress.

“The need for us to address those issues in all parts of Ireland is the best tribute we can pay to all of those who ten years ago had the courage of their convictions to sign up to the Agreement.”

Last month Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern announced €607,500 of funding to 23 groups involved in a wide range of cross-community and cross-border outreach and reconciliation work across Ireland.

The Agreement was finally signed on Good Friday, 1998 after almost two years of negotiations culminated in a marathon final session in which Mr Ahern and British prime minister Tony Blair played leading roles.