The Taoiseach has issued a statement welcoming the call by the DUP for calm ahead of the forthcoming marching season in Northern Ireland.
The DUP's two Belfast MPs, Mr Peter Robinson and Mr Nigel Dodds, today asked loyalists not to cause trouble during the traditionally volatile period.
Mr Ahern described the DUP stance, taken together with the previous statement by the Sinn Féin president, Mr Gerry Adams and community workers as "a very encouraging" development.
"The quiet summer on the streets enjoyed by the people of Northern Ireland last year was an enormous relief for communities on the interface," Mr Ahern said. "A repeat of that experience this year is no more than people deserve.
He said a quiet summer would help to create "a broader climate of confidence that could assist the collective efforts being made to advance political progress in Northern Ireland."