Blair and Ahern to attend Stormont ceremony
Northern politicians will today embark on a new era of power sharing as Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness are sworn in as First and Deputy First Ministers.
In what is likely to be his last visit as prime minister, Tony Blair will travel to Stormont to witness the appointment of the Province’s new multi-party executive.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern will take a break from campaigning in a closely contested General Election to join Mr Blair in the public gallery of the Northern Assembly.
Veteran US Senator Edward Kennedy will also head a distinguished guest list as devolution returns to the North for the first time in four and a half years.
Mr Paisley and Mr McGuinness will head an administration of 10 ministers and two junior ministers drawn from the Democratic Unionist Party, Sinn Féin, the Ulster Unionists and the nationalist Social Democratic and Labour Party.
The formation of the executive came about as a result of a deal in March struck by Mr Paisley and Sinn Féin Leader Gerry Adams who were for many decades the bitterest of enemies.
For Mr Blair and Mr Ahern the return of power sharing is the culmination of 10 years’ exhaustive and sometimes frustrating hard work.
Power-sharing in the North is viewed as one of the policy successes of Tony Blair during his 10 years in office.
His peace process partner Bertie Ahern also counts it as one of his greatest achievements.
As he prepared to take over as first minister, Mr Paisley said he would like to see the Assembly reach its full potential during devolution.
“I will enjoy it once we get all the cameras off us and get down to hard business,” the Democratic Unionist leader told PA.
“I would like to see a good hardworking Parliament here with good speeches and people dedicated to doing what they have been sent to do.
“There is talent in the Assembly and I would like to see the talent of everybody in the Assembly used to the maximum for the good of Northern Ireland.”
Stormont’s 107 Assembly members will also choose a new Speaker to replace Eileen Bell and also three new deputy speakers.
The DUP’s William Hay is expected to be the new Speaker, with his party agreeing that the speaker’s role in the next Assembly will be drawn from the largest nationalist party.
The new power-sharing government will also include the DUP deputy leader Peter Robinson as Finance Minister, Sinn Féin’s Caitriona Ruane as Education Minister, the DUP’s Nigel Dodds as Economy Minister, Ulster Unionist leader Reg Empey as Employment and Learning Minister, the SDLP’s Margaret Ritchie as Social Development Minister, Sinn Féin’s Conor Murphy as Regional Development Minister, the DUP’s Arlene Foster as Environment Minister, Ulster Unionist Michael McGimpsey as Health Minister, Sinn Fein’s Michelle Gildernew as Agriculture Minister and the DUP’s Edwin Poutts as Culture Minister.
Assembly members will be mourning the death of Democratic Unionist MLA George Dawson.
There will be a short adjournment to allow members to pay respects.
