Ahern:11th Irish PM

Ahern's hopes for the peace process

Ireland Votes In New PM

He was voted into power by the first sitting of a new parliament since this month's general election. He has already said that he supports the British Government's approach on Northern Ireland, and it's expected that his election is unlikely to lead to any major change to the peace process.

Mr Ahern, at 45 the youngest politician to be Taoiseach (prime minister) in the independent history of the Irish state, secured support from non-aligned members of the house to oust previous premier John Bruton and his three-party coalition government. Mr Ahern's alliance with the smaller Progressive Democrats group made gains in the June 6 poll while Mr Bruton's partnership lost ground. But they were left just short of majority status in the 166-strong Dail.

The Dail Welcomes Ahern

In the three weeks that followed the election, though, the new premier successfully persuaded at least three independents to make long-term pledges of backing for his alternative administration, sometimes at a cost of promising action on a range of local issues affecting the members involved. Mr Ahern's position was eased when Dick Spring, Irish Labour leader and deputy premier in the Bruton government, nominated his veteran party colleague Seamus Pattison as the new Ceann Comhairle (Speaker).

After securing the premiership Mr Ahern went to the official Dublin home of Irish President Mary Robinson to receive his seal of office. On Thursday night, he opted for experience in his government's handling of the Northern Ireland peace process by appointing veteran Ray Burke to the key Foreign Affairs ministry.

Mr Burke, who shadowed the foreign ministry for Mr Ahern's Fianna Fail party in opposition for the past two years, will automatically become joint head of the Anglo-Irish intergovernmental Ulster Conference, together with Northern Ireland Secretary Mo Mowlam. Aged 53, he has established contacts with both sides of the community in Northern Ireland, and formally attended meetings of the intergovernmental conference in his capacity as Justice Minister in the cabinet of ex-premier Charles Haughey in the early 1990s.

Mr Ahern appointed Mary Harney, leader of the Progressive Democrats, junior partners in his coalition government, as Ireland first female deputy premier. Later on Thursday night he was due to detail his cabinet appointments in the Dail.