Bertie Ahern: To reduce the terrorism threat we need "a working executive"
Emily Keegan
Monday 17 April marked the first of three days of the Agreement 25 conference at Queen’s University Belfast. The international event, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, featured opening remarks from Chancellor Hillary Clinton, and is being attended by global contributors to the peace process, including former US President Bill Clinton, former US Senator George Mitchell, former Taoiseach Professor Bertie Ahern and former UK Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair.
In a press conference, I asked Ahern along with former Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams, to give their opinions on the recent raising of the terrorism threat to ‘severe’ in Northern Ireland, and asked them how the public should interpret this, 25 years after an agreement was brought about to ensure peace.
Gerry Adams, Professor Bertie Ahern and Professor Jonathan Powell
Adams was the first to respond, emphasising that “any violent action is to be deplored and condemned”. He highlighted the fact that the IRA, the main protagonist from the Republican cause at the time of the Good Friday Agreement’s signing, is ceased, and stated that he is willing to speak to any violent person who claims to be a Republican or “United Irelander” and encourage them to put an end to their violence.
Adams took a brief moment to bring attention to the recent attempted murder of Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell, and he insisted that these groups “don’t enjoy any sizeable or significant support”.
Ahern followed with his response, stating that common reasons for such acts of brutality are “deprivation [and] lack of jobs and investment”. He continued by saying that “the way out of this is a working executive where politicians can use their energies to try and get investment”. This statement comes at a time when Northern Ireland is without a functioning executive, due to a collapse in power sharing, which remains a vital element of the Good Friday Agreement.
Emily Keegan is an MA Media & Broadcast Production student at Queen’s University Belfast