In new year statements, Government and Opposition leaders have identified the question of how to deal with Ireland's new-found prosperity as the key political issue for the future.
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, said Ireland faced new challenges and responsibilities as a result of its recent prosperity. In a statement responding to the Pope's message to mark World Day of Peace, Mr Ahern said the guiding principle was concern for "the dignity and rights of individuals".
The main Opposition leaders identified more specific issues. The Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, said resources were now available to overcome illiteracy and build real communities. The Labour leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, said the elimination of poverty would be his party's primary goal.
Mr Ahern commended all who had worked for peace in Northern Ireland, echoing the Pope's praise yesterday for peacemakers. Mr Ahern said the Pope had reaffirmed "the message of peace on Earth, which came to us from Bethlehem 2000 years ago.
"As this millennium draws to a close, it is heartening to consider the prospect of lasting peace in Northern Ireland," Mr Ahern said. "His Holiness has commended all those who `work generously for peace'. I would like to extend this commendation to the parties and individuals in Ireland and beyond who have displayed so much of this generosity in the past."
He said the establishment of the new institutions of the Belfast Agreement "would not have been possible without all those who have spoken and worked on behalf of peace".
He said the Pope had noted that while the number of wars between states had diminished, there was an increasing number of conflicts within states in which civilians had suffered most tragically. "Ireland's active engagement in peacekeeping and humanitarian tasks and support for international collective security has been at the heart of Ireland's commitment to a peaceful world."
Mr Bruton emphasised the importance of politics, saying the establishment of new political institutions in the North and the launch of the euro were two examples of this importance.
In a statement issued yesterday, Mr Bruton said politics was important, "and that is why it is important that people take an intelligent and sympathetic interest in politicians and their doings".
He said the launch of the euro was "a triumph of political will over the scepticism and hostility of economists and commentators. The NATO war against Yugoslavia was also a high-risk political decision, which set a precedent in outside military involvement in sovereign states."
He said the establishment of the Northern Ireland Executive and the other institutions was a triumph of political will "over scepticism, prejudice and fear". On the other hand, he said, "the fiasco of the Budget . . . is a demonstration of how political folly can triumph even over the most favourable circumstances".
Mr Quinn said economic prosperity had opened up opportunities and choices to the Irish people about the kind of society they wanted to create. These choices would define our standing as a nation in the future.
"Despite our increased economic growth, the gap between rich and poor has widened substantially in the last number of years," he said. "Proper housing, health and education still remain out of reach for too many of our people. It is imperative that there should be a significant increase in spending on education, health and housing in order to tackle poverty head on."