'Old timer' Bertie offers advice on solving North's stalemate

Mr Ahern's observation of the evolution of the Northern Troubles from 1969 onwards was that it was only by the two Governments working hand in glove that progress could be made on Northern Ireland, TDs will hear.

Bertie Ahern has been invited in to share his thoughts as the 25th anniversary of the deal approaches. Picture: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ie

Breaking the deadlock in Northern Ireland and re-establishing the Stormont Assembly requires “risk-taking” and “leadership”, former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern will tell TDs on Thursday.

Describing himself as “an old-timer” offering general advice, Mr Ahern in his opening address to the Oireachtas Committee on the Good Friday Agreement will say that will require leadership by everybody.

He has been invited in to share his thoughts as the 25th anniversary of the deal approaches.

“It will require risk-taking by everybody. And it will involve compromise. But just like my generation was able to do nearly a quarter century ago, I feel sure that the leaders today will be able to rise to that challenge,” he will say.

He will say the Good Friday Agreement was a living charter and more importantly, it remains the will of the people of Northern Ireland, as expressed in the Referendum of 1998.

He will say leadership was shown by all sides involved in delivering the historic peace accord.

It was shown by David Trimble and his colleagues in the UUP in working through the risks involved for Unionism in agreeing a settlement.

"It was shown by John Hume, supported by Seamus Mallon and their terrific team at the SDLP, in fashioning many of the concepts that came to underpin the Agreement.

"It was shown by Gerry Adams, Martin McGuiness and their colleagues in Sinn Féin in acknowledging that the future had to be driven by exclusively peaceful, democratic means, and working tirelessly to promote that reality,” he will say.

The close collaboration of the British and Irish Governments was a critical factor in the deal coming together in 1998, he will add.

“Without that, quite frankly, agreement could not have been reached. When I became Taoiseach in June 1997, I knew that my core priority was to find common cause with my also newly elected British counterpart Tony Blair,” he will say.

Mr Ahern will say leadership was shown by all sides involved in delivering the historic peace accord. Picture: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin.

His observation of the evolution of the Northern Troubles from 1969 onwards was that it was only by the two Governments working hand in glove that progress could be made on Northern Ireland, TDs will hear.

“Luckily for me, I found in Tony Blair somebody of precisely the same view. Over the following ten months, we lived that shared view on literally a daily basis.

"In recording that, can I also pay tribute to the tremendous support we got from our Ministerial colleagues and the very fine officials on both sides, who worked might and main to deliver on the outcome, which was never guaranteed but which we all knew was worth straining every fibre for our being for,” Mr Ahern will add.

The former Dublin Central TD will say the compromises on decommissioning, the release of paramilitary prisoners, and on changes to the Constitution were difficult.

“In some cases, we were asking people whose families had suffered personally in the conflict, to accept the release of the person responsible for the murder of their brother, sister, father, or mother,” he will add.