Ahern blasts 'immature' attack on President
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern tonight described a scathing attack on President Mary McAleese by Democratic Unionist leader Rev Ian Paisley as immature.
In a second blistering criticism of the President in less than a month, Mr Paisley accused her of having a deep hatred of the North.
And he went on to say Mrs McAleese refused to enter police stations in the North despite accepting protection from PSNI officers.
But Mr Ahern suggested the DUP leader may have been attempting to divert attention away from other things.
“I think again its deeply regretted that the remarks were made. As I have said previously the President has done more than anyone to reach out courageously and imaginatively to all communities in Northern Ireland,” Mr Ahern said.
“I don’t really know why they [criticisms] are made. Quite frankly they are unwarranted, they are not very helpful, and it looks as if for some reason it’s to divert attention from some other things.
“I don’t really know why, it’s not a very mature way of acting.”
The Taoiseach insisted President McAleese always followed protocols when travelling north and had done so this time.
The controversial criticisms came as President McAleese visited a cross community project in the troubled Duncairn Gardens area of north Belfast.
Nigel Dodds, DUP MP for the area, accused the President of making scurrilous remarks about Unionists when she compared attitudes of some northern Protestants to Nazis on the anniversary of the Holocaust last year.
“The protocols of course are out the window when it comes to visits by the Irish President,” Mr Dodds said.
“Every other foreign head of state goes through the proper protocols, but as far as Mary McAleese is concerned all of that is cast to one side. I think that is reprehensible and I think she should be subject to the same protocols as any other head of state.
He asked: “Why should she get any privileged position just because she is from the Dublin capital?”
And the north Belfast MP added: “Mary McAleese has a problem to overcome because of her attitude to Unionists and what she has said about Unionists and likening them to Nazis.”
The comments came after a DUP team met for talks with Northern Secretary Peter Hain. Rev Paisley added: “The fact that she takes protection from the police of Northern Ireland but refuses to go into a police station when they are changing, the fact she does that shows how the deep her hatred is of Northern Ireland.”
A spokeswoman for the President declined to comment on the remarks.
On her arrival at Belfast Airport, President McAleese was met by Lady Carswell, the Lord Lieutenant of Belfast, and the official representative of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth.
Later, President McAleese helped launch a new programme for the 174 Trust, a cross community project in north Belfast.
It was the second attack on the President by Rev Paisley in less than one month.
Addressing the DUP party conference on February 4, Mr Paisley said he did not like the President and called on her to show respect for the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
In unscripted comments which were greeted by laughs from his party faithful, Mr Paisley said: “Now I do not like the President of the Republic of Ireland. I don’t like her because she is dishonest.
“She pretends to love this province and she hates it.”
And the DUP leader also said: “The President of the Irish Republic who refuses to enter a police station in Northern Ireland should respect the police of Northern Ireland.
“She should only enter Northern Ireland under the same terms as every other visiting head of state and she should cease attacking Northern Ireland.”
