Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Ms O'Donoghue referred to the programme for Government commitments. Does the shared island unit see its role as specifically pertaining to the shared island aspects or the cross-cutting programme for Government commitments? I have raised the point previously, but one of the obvious issues for me is the need for dialogue and preparatory work around the issue of proposed voting rights for Irish citizens based outside the State, which I believe chimes very positively and well with the work being done by the unit. We need to have a conversation about that and it needs to be given a platform. In the same vein, I wonder if there has been any engagement with our diaspora on the issue? I refer both to the long-standing diaspora and many of the young people from across the entirety of country who have had to emigrate in recent years. Due to the fact that the world has changed there is greater global access, the diaspora are very much connected into Irish life and want to be a part of it.

The issue of a citizens' assembly was mentioned earlier. From my perspective, I do not see it as being one or the other. That is to say, I do not see the shared island unit as being in competition with any citizens' assembly on this issue. I put it to Ms O'Donoghue and Mr. Duffy that such an initiative by the Government would actually assist and be of additional use to their work, as opposed to taking in any way from the work the unit is doing. It does not have to be one or the other. I certainly do not envisage it being that way. There is a role for the shared island unit and the work it is doing.

As well as growing calls outside the Oireachtas for a citizens' assembly - the committee heard from the Reverend Karen Sethuraman and Mr. Trevor Lunn, MLA, on the issue last week - it is now the agreed position of Seanad Éireann, for example, that the Government should establish a citizens' assembly to plan and prepare. That should not be downplayed or forgotten. It is a political reality. I wanted to make that point and ask the question specifically around the programme for Government commitments and engagement with the diaspora going forward.