The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, last night appealed to all sides involved in the implementation of the Good Friday agreement in Northern Ireland to "dust themselves down" and "move on" despite the result of Saturday's Ulster Unionist Party leadership vote.
"We have to look at the situation between the two governments and the political parties and continue to move forward. Clearly Saturday wasn't a good day but, regardless, David Trimble is still the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party and I think he is still committed to the implementation of the Good Friday agreement." Mr Ahern said that regardless of Saturday they had to be positive. "No doubt people do feel over the weekend that it was a difficult day but we are committed to the Good Friday agreement and we have to go with it."
The Taoiseach said that what happened at any individual conference or what any individual politician, whether it be a Prime Minister or a Taoiseach, thought, was irrelevant.
"The fact is that we are engaged in the will of the people and a vote here or there will not change the will of the people. Over 70 per cent of people in the North and 96 per cent of people in the South voted for the agreement and the will of the people takes precedence over anyone else's will.
"I think we have to dust ourselves down from Saturday and we have to move on and implement the Good Friday agreement."