The Taoiseach has promised "a positive and open" response to loyalists wishing to engage in the new politics of Northern Ireland, saying this State offers no threat to the Union.
In his annual Wolfe Tone commemoration speech at Bodenstown yesterday, Mr Ahern said he was convinced there were many within loyalism "who wish to play a constructive part in the new landscape of relationships emerging.
"As with the journey embarked upon by militant republicans, I recognise that they need space, encouragement and support to move beyond their recent past." Speaking to a party gathering of over 100 including Ministers, Ministers of State, party officials and ordinary members, he addressed himself directly to unionists. "There is no constitutional threat to the position of Northern Ireland within the United Kingdom from this part of the island," he said. "Those who used violence to try to force you into a united Ireland have, thankfully, not only stopped their war, but have decommissioned the means by which they waged that war." He said he was convinced that there were many within loyalism "who wish to play a constructive part in the new landscape of relationships emerging. As with the journey embarked upon by militant republicans, I recognise that they need space, encouragement and support . . .
"I pledge today that those seeking genuine efforts at transformation will see a positive and open response from my Government. It will be a response that will not diminish my commitment to a united Ireland, no more than it will make loyalists any less unionist, but a response that seeks to live out the true spirit of Wolfe Tone in the republican ideals of liberty of conscience, equality of opportunity and fraternity of relationships."
Speaking to reporters later he said he knew loyalism has felt a certain alienation from the political process for a considerable period of time. Yet both he and Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern had detected that there were "some very serious people within loyalism who are very anxious to move forward.
"They don't want any threats over them. I was making clear today that we certainly are not in that business. They do want to move forward and we want to move forward constructively with them. We do hope they will note what was said, because we were taking today as an opportunity to speak directly to them.
"We see them as people who are prepared to try to change in their community. They have a lot of difficulties, we understand those difficulties, and both I and Dermot Ahern want to help all sides. We particularly want to help loyalism. We are constitutional republicans - but we want to move on with them and we believe that they want to move on with us and the British government as well."