McGuinness praises Paisley's role

The Deputy First Minister of the Northern Ireland Executive, Martin McGuinness, yesterday lauded Dr Ian Paisley's contribution to the Executive since it was established three months ago.

On only his second visit south as Deputy First Minister, Mr McGuinness said in Scariff, Co Clare: "Ian Paisley knows what I am and I know what he is. I intensely disliked Ian Paisley for all of my adult life and I wouldn't even hazard a guess of what he thought of me, but for the last three months, I have met him in Stormont every day, sometimes for two or three hours a day, morning and afternoon, and in the three months, there has not been one cross word between the two of us."

He added: "People ask 'is this for real? Is this going to last?' The answer is a really decisive 'yes' to both questions." "I believe Ian Paisley is as committed and dedicated to making this process work as I am and as the Taoiseach is. That is where we are at. We are doing it now in a totally different environment. The war is well and truly over; the next big challenge is the economy, providing well- paid jobs for our young people.

"Ian Paisley's allegiance is to Britain and the UK. I have no allegiance to Britain or the UK. My allegiance is to Ireland and to the people of Ireland, but both he and I inhabit a space where he and I work together."

Mr McGuinness was speaking before officially opening the fifth annual Scariff Harbour Festival which has as one of its primary aims the promotion of greater links between North and South.

Mr McGuinness told the attendance of 300: "I am very honoured to be here, Scariff is a very small place, but symbolically, this has been very important for me."

Earlier in an interview with Clare FM, Mr McGuinness said that Dr Paisley is a "much more decisive leader than David Trimble". He said: "He is not looking over his shoulder at anyone and I think that Ian Paisley is going to continue to work with myself, the Taoiseach and others to ensure the success of this project."

Mr McGuinness remarked that during the joint press conferences the two have held, "I have found Ian Paisley to be very, very gracious indeed and I think he clearly recognises the journey that we in Sinn Féin and many others, including the Taoiseach and other political leaders, have made and I think he has joined in the mood and he wants to participate in a positive way".

He added: "I think Ian Paisley knows as a serious politician, this is a very small island and there are huge benefits for all of us if we work together."