Paisley arrives for NI meeting
DUP leader Ian Paisley has arrived at Government Buildings to meet Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.
As his entourage swept through the gates he was greeted by a large crowd of reporters, welcomed to Dublin, and asked if he was pleased to be here.
The MP paused on the steps, turned around slowly and said: “Where Ulster’s issues are being discussed you can’t do without Ian Paisley.”
Senior Ulster Unionist Michael McGimpsey claimed the DUP were taking further steps into the real world by meeting Mr Ahern in Dublin.
The South Belfast Assembly member also claimed the meeting was only possible because the UUP had secured the removal of the Republic’s territorial claim on Northern Ireland in its constitution.
He observed: “The DUP were in self-imposed exile from the political process at the time. But better late than never.
“We trust, however, that the DUP are not negotiating or discussing any Strand One issues (on the internal affairs of Northern Ireland) with Mr Ahern as this would be a clear breach of their commitment to the electorate.
“It would be helpful if the DUP could confirm that this was the case.
“While such moves are undoubtedly part of the ongoing choreography of securing a DUP-Sinn Féin coalition government, it is worth reminding the DUP of what the acid test for breaking the deadlock in the process is – the quality of the action undertaken by republicans.
“The UUP will be closely scrutinising developments to make sure that there are genuine acts of completion rather than an instalments-based process.
“The further crucial standard by which the UUP will judge any deal will be by the price that the British government is prepared to pay in return for republican action.
“We trust that, since the DUP promised to end all concessions on November 26, we will not see any elements of the joint declaration being implemented under their tenure.
“That the DUP continually seek to blame others for the stream of concessions that have flowed since the Assembly Elections will not fill the unionist electorate with confidence on this last point though.”
