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

I thank Dr. Renwick and his colleagues for making the presentation to the committee.

It is timely for us to examine the interim report produced by the working group on the unification of referendums on the island of Ireland. The work the group has done on the technical and procedural matters arising from the explicit provision within the Good Friday Agreement is an important component of the global and national discussions which are currently taking place daily.

I understand the work was funded by the British Academy and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. My first question is in terms of who commissioned the work. Was it the working group? Perhaps Dr. Renwick could explain the context of that. I will ask a couple of questions and perhaps get a couple of answers together. One of my colleagues may then also wish to come in for part of the ten minutes.

The first very interesting thing addressed by Dr. Renwick was around the democratic threshold. Since the vote in favour of unity and the vote for maintaining the status quoare equally valid, the only fair and reasonable outworking of that would be a majority of 50% plus 1. This would then demonstrate a successful outcome for either side. I take it that 50% plus 1 is now a given because there is some ambiguity around that in some of the discussions which have taken place. I ask Dr. Renwick to speak to that.

The other thing that really comes through in terms of the working group's substantial interim report is the need for the Irish Government to plan. The Good Friday Agreement states it is for the people of Ireland to decide without external impediment. This implies the neutrality of the British Government. The Irish Government, however, is permitted and, indeed, obliged to pursue the constitutional goal of the reunification in accordance with Bunreacht na hÉireann and the Good Friday Agreement as it was. We have seen the outcomes of the working of a referendum held without proper planning in terms of the Brexit poll. I believe everybody absolutely agrees with the need to plan.

Dr. Renwick also referred within his report to the need for a constitutional assembly or civic assembly to be able to discuss all the issues he raised pertaining to the unity debate and what the shared island unit could do. Perhaps, therefore, Dr. Renwick could answer those three questions on who commissioned the report, the democratic threshold and the need to plan and the constitutional obligations on the Irish Government to do so. How important does he believe a citizens' assembly would be?