Northern Secretary Peter Mandelson had talks with the President, Mrs McAleese on Tuesday, and Bertie Ahern and Brian Cowen are understood to be none too happy. Mandelson was in Dublin for discussions on the Northern crisis with the Taoiseach and new Minister for Foreign Affairs. He requested a meeting with the President and had a 40-minute chat with her in the Aras before he left that evening.
Reports say the two got on extremely well and had a wide ranging chat on the current situation. They agreed to meet again and her April visit north was set as a tentative date. Dublin ministers however are always wary of the President getting involved in discussions of a political nature, despite her personal knowledge and experience relevant to the current crisis. Indeed some feel that her expertise in the area is an extra reason why she should stay away from the subject.