Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I think Dr. Mitchell for being here. I was really keen to have her here since I first saw the launch of her book. I have her book here and it is fantastic. It makes a really positive contribution to the whole discussion and the discussions that we are having on this committee, which obviously surround women and the Constitution and the role that women can play in it and what we need to do. I wish to quote a small extract from her book, on page 33:

The united Irish analysis in the 1790s and mine now is that politics on this island offers the best chance of realising these values...Irish reunification, in some shape or form, has always made sense to me. Bigger fish, small pond, republican not monarchy, leaving a state which is constitutionally routed in empire and feudalism for a State that at least attempted to be a peoples' Republic.

[...]

It does not stop me dreaming of a second Republic with a new Constitution remade by all on the island today.

On this committee, we meet a lot of people who wish to share that. What does Dr. Mitchell want good unity to look like for progressive Protestants? When she talks about structures in place, what do they look like for her? I completely agree in terms of conversations at grassroots level from a community perspective and building capacity in individuals and communities. What are the kinds of structures? What do we need to do? What does good unity look like?