Ahern to address British parliament

The Taoiseach is to address the Joint British Houses of Parliament at Westminister on May 15th.

The Taoiseach is to address the Joint British Houses of Parliament at Westminister on May 15th.

Mr Ahern's address will mark the first time a Taoiseach has ever addressed the Houses of Parliament.

In a statement issued this afternoon, Mr Ahern said "I am greatly honoured to be invited to address the Joint Houses of Parliament at Westminster. This very special invitation symbolises the new levels of friendship, mutual respect and understanding that we are building on and between these islands". "With agreement on Northern Ireland and the return of the devolved arrangements of the Good Friday Agreement from May 8, relations between Britain and Ireland have never been better," continued the Taoiseach.

The address will come at a crucial time for the Mr Ahern who is likely be in the middle of an election campaign to secure his third term in office.

READ MORE

The address will also come at an important time in the Northern Ireland peace process - just one week after the inauguration of Sinn Féin and DUP power-sharing on May 8th.

Statesmen who have previously addressed the Houses of Parliament include Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, Jacques Chirac and Nelson Mandela.