Yet another significant political milestone was passed in Northern Ireland yesterday when the full Northern Executive met at Stormont Castle for the first time.
Serious work was done at the meeting chaired by First Minister the Rev Ian Paisley and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness but again, as over recent days, the mood was businesslike and fairly relaxed.
The Executive posed for its first group picture with Dr Paisley quipping, "not an inch", when asked by the pool photographer to slightly move his chair.
The meeting started slightly late yesterday evening as earlier Dr Paisley and other senior DUP politicians as well as members from other parties including Sinn Féin attended the funeral of East Antrim Assembly member George Dawson.
Before entering the Executive meeting Dr Paisley issued a statement chiding Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams over his remarks that he hoped the next British prime minister would be the last with jurisdiction over Northern Ireland.
"Gerry Adams will not see a united Ireland in his lifetime and the DUP remain steadfast on this vital fact," said Dr Paisley. "His scaremongering is not welcome nor is the fantasy that our British prime minister will not have an integral role to play in Northern Ireland for many years to come," he added.
After the Executive meeting, which lasted almost three hours, Dr Paisley made clear that the constitutional differences between the parties would not upset the workings of government. Of his and Mr Adams's views on the union, he said, "We are what we said we are. I am what I said I am, and he said what he said he was. But sometimes you don't just take it up, and you have to rub it in." Could this undermine the work of the Executive?, he was asked. "Not at all," said Dr Paisley.
"This is the real world. This is us dealing with real issues on behalf of the people we represent. And it's quite clear from our approach that we are doing all this together," said Mr McGuinness.
Addressing the press. Dr Paisley said, "And you wanted us to drop into hot water but it didn't succeed." While an executive was formed in 1999 after the Belfast Agreement of the previous year yesterday was the first time that all Ministers attended the Executive. The then two DUP ministers Peter Robinson and Nigel Dodds boycotted the first executive but nonetheless operated as ministers.
The main issues discussed yesterday were water rates and convincing the current British chancellor of the exchequer and prospective next prime minister Gordon Brown to provide a more generous financial package.
Dr Paisley and Mr McGuinness, flanked by Finance and Regional Development Ministers Peter Robinson and Conor Murphy, told reporters the Executive formally decided that the proposed annual water rates, a key issue of the Assembly election, would not be imposed in 2007-2008. This would cost £75 million (€110 million), and would come from extra resources received from Mr Brown.
The Ministers acknowledged that the North's water and sewerage systems were badly in need of investment, which must be found. Dr Paisley said that the Executive therefore had "decided to conduct a comprehensive review to address the longer-term approach that should be adopted in relation to financing water and sewerage services".
