John McGahon (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I apologise for leaving the meeting. My pharmacy phoned me with a date for my vaccination. It was an important call to take.

I thank Mr. Carlin, Ms Groogan, Mr. de Faoite and, in particular, Mr. Hughes for taking part in the meeting. It is a meeting I suggested a couple of months ago. I refer to the comments of Ms Begley. I turned 30 a couple of months ago and I am still telling people I am not 18. It is good to get people from our generation here to speak about this issue because in recent months the committee heard from many people on the Good Friday Agreement but they are from a totally different generation. It is good to have the perspective of people who grew up as part of the Agreement generation.

My questions are for all our guests. One of the biggest aspirations of John Hume was the concept of unity. How does that concept of unity fit in with the current circumstances, particularly in the context of Brexit? As Senator Currie stated, it is not a binary conversation any more; it is much more pluralist. People are having these conversations based on a much wider political identity for Ireland than unionism or nationalism. In that context, what is currently the biggest barrier in Northern Ireland to a potentially united Ireland?

I was struck by the remarks of Ms Groogan in respect of being an "other". What is the best way, in her view or that of our other guests, to stop people of our generation, that is, those under the age of 30, falling into the same nationalist or unionist trope? What is the best way to suggest there is another path and it is the middle of the road?