The Taoiseach's special adviser has criticised David Trimble's description of the Republic of Ireland as a pathetic sectarian, mono-ethnic, mono-cultural state. Martin Mansergh said that the Republic was admired for its vitality and variety as well as being one of the most dynamic economies in the world.
He also raised doubts about the Northern Ireland First Minister's suggestions of a "border poll", saying that the Good Friday agreement did not incorporate any plans to have polls for simply marking out the relative strength of each political community.
He described Mr Trimble's proposal for a poll on a united Ireland as "quite premature". He told RTÉ that he knew of no one in either government who thought a border poll was the way to go at this stage.
Dr Mansergh, who is a Fianna Fáil candidate in the general election, said that all routes to progress lay through the Good Friday Agreement, and that it was more important to build on the Agreement than to call for polls for "propagandistic purposes".
Mr Trimble was speaking at the AGM of the Ulster Unionist Council where he was unanimously re-elected party leader. Mr Trimble's supporters had urged the party to reunite in an effort to maximise support in next year's Assembly elections.
In his speech to delegates, Mr Trimble called for a poll to be held next year on whether the North wants to become part of a united Ireland. Mr Trimble wants the poll to take place at the same time as the Assembly elections.
Under the Good Friday Agreement, the North' Secretary of State, John Reid, may call such a poll if he believes there are sufficient grounds to suggest a majority might vote in favour of a united Ireland. Mr Trimble also referred to the Republic of Ireland as a pathetic, sectarian, mono-ethnic and mono-cultural state.
Sinn Féin Chairman Mitchell McLaughlin said that a border poll would undoubtedly begin the countdown to a united Ireland. He said that the Good Friday Agreement stipulated that if the British government agreed to Mr Trimble's call then there would have to be a series of similar border polls every seven years.
He also said that Mr Trimble's call for the poll to coincide with an Assembly election was a bid to boost the numbers of Unionists turning out to vote. The Chairman of the SDLP, Alex Attwood, welcomed Mr Trimble's call. Mr Attwood said that it was decades since a popular assessment of the issue and it would be timely to make that assessment now.
