Professor Colin Harvey:

I will follow up briefly with some responses. First, what we have tried to do in much of our work is to outline the existing framework in terms of the agreement and existing law and policy and to frame our responses in relation to that. It is notable that Ireland's Future has placed an all-in citizens' assembly at the heart of its proposals. Too much of this debate is based on assumptions about what people want, including about what people might want to continue into the future. Those assumptions need to be tested by the groundbreaking idea of asking people and having engagement with citizens about what they want for the future. The question is likely to be closely aligned, as in much of this, to the Good Friday Agreement language but the role of a citizens' assembly, as has been done in the past, in clarifying preferences around different options would be remarkably helpful at this time. A citizens' assembly is a vehicle whereby experts would come and give presentations, in which a range of options would be laid out and we would all have a clearer idea of what people on this island want to see in the future. Some of the assumptions we are making in this conversation need to be tested by speaking to people on the island. I think that is a significant proposal.

The final point Dr. Farry made is a great one. Let me be clear: we do not co-operate practically enough on this island at present. The shared island unit and others have a massive role in ensuring that practical co-operation on this island is stepped up. Institutions on this island at the moment do not engage or talk to each other anywhere near as much as they need to. The sort of support that is promised in the programme for Government in the South, New Decade, New Approach, needs to be realised to build basic infrastructure and create well-being projects for everyone across the island. We are talking about the future but the shared island concept is hardwired into the here and now as well as the future and we could do much better here and now in improving practical co-operation in anticipation of where we might be going next. The Irish Government has a significant responsibility to be much more forthcoming in relation to this debate. It needs to, in some senses, catch up with civic society and the leadership that is being shown across civic society on this island and join the conversation in a practical way. I thank Dr. Farry for the question.