The Government will actively discourage the British government from acceding to a Border poll, the Taoiseach has confirmed. He was responding to a suggestion from the North's First Minister, Mr David Trimble, that a referendum on unification be called next year.
Mr Ahern, who warned in a speech here in Northwestern University on Monday that such a poll would be premature and could be destabilising, is adamant that the process of reconciliation and confidence-building between the communities in the North must sink roots before the issue, which he admits is central to Fianna Fáil's philosophy, can realistically be raised without damaging the process.
Responding to a series of questions about the issue from students, Mr Ahern argued that "to force it \ quickly is not a good idea . . . There will have to be a sustained period of X years when trust and confidence is building". He admitted that he had no idea how many X might turn out to be and that he did not believe the issue was simply going to be resolved by demographics.
Later he reiterated that the process of reconciliation "won't happen overnight. It will happen over a generation", and of unification that "I think 10 years on people will start having the debate". Mr Ahern firmly rejected the idea of repartition as an interim solution.
Following a ceremony to mark the opening of Fitzpatrick's Hotel here, the first Irish-owned hotel in Chicago, Mr Ahern returned yesterday to Washington for a St Patrick's Day reception in the Irish Embassy. He will meet President Bush today for a meeting after the presentation of shamrock and then will attend the Speaker's Lunch on Capitol Hill.
