The British Ambassador to Dublin regarded Taoiseach Bertie Ahern as a pragmatic negotiator and deal-broker, but one who kept his own counsel and could be "ruthless".
In a report to London in February 1998 - just two months before the Good Friday Agreement - Ambassador Veronica Sutherland said Ahern’s pragmatism had exceeded her expectations.
She said the Taoiseach - like all his predecessors - wanted to secure an agreed settlement in the North. But she said, Ahern realised that Dublin didn’t have the means to administer the North, or the security infrastructure to deal with terrorist violence.
He was also wary of encouraging Sinn Féin political involvement, as they would take votes and seats from Fianna Fáil.
"If Ahern is to achieve his objective of a settlement in the North which also ideally marginalises Sinn Fein in the South, he has to tread a very careful path. Here his qualities as a negotiator and deal-broker stand him in good stead..."
She observed that he kept his own counsel, using ministers and officials when it suited, "but he does not fully rely on them, and at tricky points he takes over personally".
She added that he could be ruthless, as when Ray Burke and Charlie McCreevy were "humiliated in the wider interests of the survival of the Government".
The Ambassador concluded that "Ahern is critical to success in the talks, and more widely… we owe Ahern a great deal… we’ll need much more from him before all this ends".
More on the latest UK state paper release:
- Mowlam 'steered off' Parliamentary Oath concession for Sinn Féin
- Bad blood between the Northern Ireland Office and the UUP
- Disagreement over exclusion of Sinn Féin from all-party talks
- British withheld information on Niedermayer kidnapping
- Celtic Rangers match proposed ahead of Good Friday Agreement vote
