Ned O'Sullivan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chair. I will avoid the preliminaries because I have so little time. I welcome Mr. Murphy and I am sorry that Ms Laura Harmon is not here because I have great respect for her, especially in the role she played in the referendum campaign for the repeal of the eighth amendment to the Constitution.

Originally, Ireland's Future was mooted as a kind of an open forum and a neutral voice to facilitate debate and discussion. Mr. Murphy just said that the organisation had now adopted a position. Did it take it long to come to that position? It seems to have been a little rushed if the group was originally just a neutral forum. Suddenly, it is not a neutral forum but a lobby group for a united Ireland and a border poll. Does Ireland's Future have credibility at this stage to put itself forward as a vehicle to encourage unionist, loyalist and other points of view through its auspices?

I respect the answer Mr. Murphy gave to Senator Blaney in respect of Sinn Féin involvement.

I must put the following to Mr. Murphy. Several commentators and journalists have noted, and one, in particular, has stated that he sees Ireland's Future as an outreach programme for Sinn Féin. Mr. Murphy has stated otherwise. I will not go into detail, but anyone who studies the organisation's social media accounts, the likes, dislikes and comments and regular columns of its members, will note that there is a Sinn Féin flavour about them. I am a countryman. I believe that if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it is a duck. Mr. Murphy needs to provide more answers.

In respect of the funding of Ireland's Future, in particular, where does the funding come from? Obviously, the organisation has a fairly big budget for a voluntary, non-State organisation. Can Mr. Murphy assure us that the funding does not come from Sinn Féin or any of its subsidiaries, friends or any such group?

My final question-----