Politicians in the North should not need six months to reach an agreement to restore the assembly and Executive, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said.
Speaking as the politicians gathered in the Stormont Assembly chamber for the first time since October 2002, Mr Ahern said: "It is good that they are back. October 2004 is a long time ago.
"It's good to see elected politicians sitting down again in the same room. I was very impressed that they had the moment of sympathy for the young boy who was kicked to death last week," he said. "It is the job of elected politicians to work together for the people who elected them, and in the common good. And in the North the common good has to mean the future of the institutions working fully. Hopefully in the weeks and months ahead we will see that happening.
"Politicians have the power to form a government and they should use this as soon as possible. I hope in the weeks and period ahead that they will do that and set up the Executive ahead," he said, speaking after a public engagement in Dublin.
Questioned about the Irish and British governments' actions if the November deadline is not met, he said: "The last thing that Tony Blair and I want to do is even contemplate Plan B. I hope that they do not need six months. There is no reason why it should drift to the end."
Downplaying the significance of the some of the attacks unleashed yesterday by the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, Dr Ian Paisley, the Taoiseach said: "Obviously, they will all state their position on the opening day. We just have to work together to get a collective position," he said. "There are issues to be resolved, and they should sit down and resolve them in the interests of all of the people of NI."
