The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, has offered his congratulations to the new Northern Ireland Secretary, Dr John Reid. According to a Government spokesman, Mr Ahern telephoned Dr Reid yesterday afternoon to wish him well in his new job. The two had a brief conversation.
Irish officials travelled to Belfast yesterday evening to have discussion with the Northern political parties, and telephone discussions took place with officials in London. These are expected to continue over the weekend.
There are no immediate plans for the Taoiseach to travel to London to have talks with the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair. According to the spokesman, the earliest he may make a trip would be the middle of next week.
The spokesman said that during the telephone conversation the Taoiseach assured Dr Reid of his co-operation, that of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, and of the Irish Government in "helping to progress the common agenda of both Governments in gaining the successful implementation of the Good Friday agreement".
Politicians in Northern Ireland yesterday sent good wishes to Dr John Reid on his first day as Northern Secretary. The SDLP leader, Mr John Hume, said his party was looking forward to working closely with Dr Reid in order to resolve the difficulties in the peace process.
The North's First Minister, Mr David Trimble, said Dr Reid's previous political experience equipped him well for the post.
"Before he was Scottish Secretary he was a defence minister, and that again will give him an understanding of some of the security situation we deal with here," said the UUP leader.
The North's Deputy First Minister, Mr Seamus Mallon, said he looked forward to developing a "good working relationship" with Dr Reid over the coming days and weeks.
The UUP deputy leader, Mr John Taylor, said the transition came at a pivotal time and the appointment must be handled smoothly. He feared the change of Northern Secretary could stall the process, "and that would be tragic for the remaining stages of the Belfast Agreement - namely the decommissioning of illegal arms and, of course, the setting up of the police authority for the new Police Service of Northern Ireland."
The Sinn Fein chairman, Mr Mitchel McLaughlin, said that while he wished Dr Reid well, what was important to his party was British policy and not who the Northern Secretary was.
Mr Nigel Dodds of the anti-agreement DUP, described Dr Reid as an "unknown quantity". He said the new Northern Secretary would be judged on how he dealt with "the fact that the majority of unionists are set against this process".