NORTHERN IRELAND will survive the passing of Dr Ian Paisley from power, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern said yesterday. But he expressed the hope that Dr Paisley would stay on as the North's First Minister.
"I would personally like to see Ian Paisley remain on, and I think it would be the view of the Irish Government that he has been instrumental in bringing the incredible changes that have taken place," he said, after a meeting in Dublin with the Northern Ireland Secretary, Shaun Woodward.
But he said the Democratic Unionist Party was "a robust party" that would make its decisions "in due course". Mr Ahern was questioned about the resignation from office of Ian Paisley jnr, following allegations of improper links with a property developer.
"I was sad to see Ian Paisley jnr go. He was a good colleague and we worked closely together on issues. But life moves on. I think it shows the robustness of what is present there in Northern Ireland that despite that kind of hit that things can move on," he said.
Mr Woodward said he and Mr Ahern had reflected during their meeting on the "tremendous progress that has been made since St Andrews".
Questioned about the May deadline for devolution of policing and justice powers to Stormont, he said "the bulk of the devolutionary process" had already been completed. Opinion polls in Northern Ireland showed the majority of the public wanted devolution to be completed "sooner rather than later", he said.
"But this is not a science. The parties themselves have to reach that agreement. We know the public want it, and we know they want it in very large numbers.
"What Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness have achieved in Northern Ireland has gone around the world as a symbol of hope about what can be done when you give that leadership. I believe that we will have it sooner rather than later," he said.
Questioned about how long he believed Dr Paisley would remain on as First Minister, Mr Woodward said: "Whatever happens in the future of the DUP will not take away from the personal legacy of Dr Paisley which has been enormous. He has led his party into government and into a shared future in a way that few would have imagined just a few years ago.
"That legacy will live for as long as any of us are going to be around for. For as long as Ian Paisley is there I am sure he will continue to prosecute that work. Whoever one day should succeed him as leader of the DUP is bound to continue that work," he declared. "What has been achieved is something bigger than one individual."
Mr Woodward continued: "The personal tributes that we will make while Dr Paisley stays in the job - and I hope that he stays there for as long as possible - the truth is that it is bigger than Ian Paisley.
"It would be a regret of course when the time comes for Ian Paisley to step down but no one should have illusions that the progress made is here to stay."
