Ahern praises NI parties for minute's silence
Monday, 15 May 2006 22:30
The Taoiseach has praised Northern Ireland's political parties for their decision to open today's session of the Stormont Assembly with a minute's silence in memory of murdered Ballymena teenager Michael McIlveen.
Speaking at the opening of the offices of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority, Bertie Ahern said he had been very impressed by the gesture which he said showed that the politicians wanted to work together for the greater good of the people of Northern Ireland.
Mr Ahern maintained the parties should now move to elect a government as soon as possible and not use up the full six months before the November deadline for the establishment of a new power-sharing administration.
Speaking before entering the assembly, the Sinn Féin President, Gerry Adams, said his party is dedicated to getting the executive formed as quickly as possible.
Earlier, Northern Ireland's political parties met at Stormont for the first time since devolved government was suspended in 2002.
Eileen Bell, the speaker appointed by Northern Secretary Peter Hain, outlined her plans to the 108 assembly members. Ms Bell told the MLAs that their conduct in the chamber would influence how they were viewed by the public.
Before the chamber adjourned, the Progressive Unionist party leader, David Ervine, aligned himself with the Ulster Unionists.
- News At One: Tommie Gorman, Northern Editor, Jeffrey Donaldson of the DUP, and Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness discuss today's proceedings at Stormont
- Morning Ireland: Tommie Gorman, Northern Editor, explains what will happen when MLAs return to work today
- Morning Ireland: Eimear Lowe asks people on the streets of Belfast and Cookstown, Co Tyrone, for their views about the Assembly's return
- Nine News: Tommie Gorman, Northern Editor, reports live on the implications of today's row within unionism after the Progressive Unionist Party's David Ervine aligned himself with the Ulster Unionists
- Nine News: Michael Fisher reports on today's first session of the Stormont Assembly since elections in 2003, which observed a minute's silence for the murdered Ballymena teenager, Michael McIlveen
- Six One News: Brendan Wright gauges the reaction to today's events from both sides of the sectarian divide
- Six One News: Mark Durkan of the SDLP and Gerry Adams of Sinn Féin discuss their hopes for the meeting of the deadline for the restoration of the Assembly
- Six One News: Tommie Gorman, Northern Editor, assesses today's events
- Six One News: Michael Fisher reports as David Ervine of the PUP signs up with Sir Reg Empey's Ulster Unionist Party
- One News: Tommie Gorman, Northern Editor, discusses David Ervine's alliance with the Ulster Unionists
- One News: Brendan Wright reports on the hopes for the restoration of a power-sharing government in Northern Ireland
- One News: Michael Fisher reports on the meeting of MLAs at Stormont
