The deadlock in Northern Ireland's political process can be broken, the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, insisted today.
While he conceded the Assembly election results were not what everyone would have liked, he said democrats had to make them work.
Both the Irish and British governments had made it clear the Belfast Agreement could be reviewed but they were not prepared to make fundamental changes to it, he said.
Mr Ahern told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I believe there's lots of things to be optimistic about and lots of opportunities to make things work and make the Good Friday Agreement work."