Governments' reaction: The Taoiseach has said the Belfast Agreement cannot be changed without a referendum in the Republic, in the face of demands from triumphant anti-agreement unionists that the deal now be set aside.
Mr Ahern said yesterday that the Irish and British governments would open discussions with the Northern parties within days on the review of the agreement due to begin next week.
He said the review was not an opportunity for any "structural change" in the deal. He highlighted difficulties in any attempt to renegotiate it, saying the agreement was an international agreement, and was also recognised in the Irish Constitution.
It could not simply be changed through inter-party talks, he said, and any alteration to it would have to be put to the Irish people in a referendum.
"Those that believe that in some way yesterday the Good Friday agreement was torn up, set aside, forgotten about" would have to understand this. "You cannot just move to a position where we drop fundamental aspects of the agreement without the parties agreeing to that. It's not just the governments, and of course the people in a referendum. So just throwing out many aspects of this is not so simple."
After a meeting with the British Prime Minister, Mr Blair, in Cardiff, he insisted the two governments would continue to work to implement the remaining aspects of the Belfast Agreement despite anti-agreement unionist claims that it had been rejected by the majority of unionist voters.
Faced with the election successes of the anti-agreement DUP and the increased strength of rejectionists within Mr Trimble's UUP, Mr Ahern said the two governments would write to the parties next week seeking their views on the review of the agreement scheduled to start next week.
Mr Ahern and Mr Blair discussed prospects for political development in the North on the margins of a meeting of the British-Irish Council. Speaking to journalists Mr Ahern said the "principles and values" of the agreement would not change. "This is an international agreement and it is not open for renegotiation. It is a registered international agreement. The people decided on that, previously. You do not do that." He added that he looked forward to working with all the parties on the review.
Mr Ahern said the results of the election were the will of the people. "Obviously, we want to engage with the parties and continue with the implementation of the Belfast Agreement. That has not changed in the elections."
Mr Ahern added that he had no doubt "that anybody who has assumed a position of authority from yesterday's mandate would want to carry that peaceful responsibility on into the future".
When it was put to Mr Ahern that the DUP leader, Dr Ian Paisley, had ruled out working with Sinn Féin, the Taoiseach replied: "I look forward to working with everybody. In a democracy, you work for the betterment of the people. Those who do not, well, that is a question for themselves."
When an election was over, irrespective of whether one won or lost, there were certain responsibilities.
"The people who carry most of the pressure and responsibilities are those who win. They have to lead the way forward, and Tony Blair and myself look forward to working with them as they lead their people on from the enormous success we have achieved over the past number of years."
Mr Ahern said he had fought all year so that there would be elections. "It was the considered opinion of all the political parties in Northern Ireland that we would have them, so I am glad they have taken place. I am a democrat. My profession is politics. The results are the will of the people." Meanwhile, Downing Street sources said after the Ahern-Blair meeting that they accepted the mandate given to the various parties.
However, that mandate came with responsibility. A majority of people in Northern Ireland wanted devolved and inclusive government, they added, but warned against any "quick fix".