Foreign Affairs: There is no learning curve or period of orientation for the new Minister for Foreign Affairs, Louth TD Mr Dermot Ahern. Today, his first full day in office, he will have to join the Taoiseach at Government Buildings for a meeting with a DUP delegation led by the Rev Ian Paisley.
Although Dr Paisley has, of course, visited Dublin in the past, it was usually in a religious or protest role. This time it is for serious discussions of the crucial issues in the peace process, namely, IRA disbandment and the restoration of power-sharing in the North. But one of the reasons Mr Ahern got the job in Iveagh House is said to be his familiarity with the Northern Ireland situation. As a new TD, he and Dr Martin Mansergh (now a member of the Seanad) were sent by the Taoiseach of the day, Mr Charles Haughey, to take part in meetings with Sinn Féin in Dundalk in May and June 1988. It was a politically-risky move for the then government as the IRA campaign was still underway.
As a TD in a Border constituency, Mr Ahern would be well-versed in the intricacies of republican politics and particularly the mood in south Armagh.
He is in a position to know what compromises the rank-and-file can or cannot accept. But he has also voiced sharp criticism of the republican movement which he said turned Louth into an "economic wasteland" in the past.
It is often difficult to know where the role of the Minister for Foreign Affairs ends and the responsibilities of the Taoiseach begin.
As with Mr Jack Straw and Mr Tony Blair, for example, there is a significant overlap. Thus both Aherns will have a joint role in other areas as well as the peace process.
The new Minister's first outing on the European stage comes with the meeting of the General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) in Luxembourg on October 11th. This will be his first opportunity to meet his EU counterparts as a group although nobody with Cabinet experience is a stranger to the European scene these days.
Having held the EU presidency and, before that, a seat on the UN Security Council, Ireland was obliged to take a more continental and global view than might normally be the case. Now there is a chance for a sharper focus on national priorities, and building up good relations with the new EU member-states is high on that list.
He will also need to be sure-footed in relation to Ireland's role in the development of the EU's security strategy. A major report on UN reform is due in December and the Minister will have to make a detailed response to that.
EU-US relations were left in a sorry state after the Iraqi invasion and the Government's boast is that Ireland can play a "bridging" role in the restoration of that relationship. There was evidence of that in a relatively smooth visit by President Bush to this country last June.
