Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an coiste. I have a few quick questions. Regarding what Ms Groogan and Mr. de Faoite said about people in the South often not recognising the Irishness of people in the North of Ireland, sometimes the media on this island are also partitionist and the conversations we have are inward looking within the jurisdictions rather than about the bigger picture of the island as a whole. That could be a cause sometimes. Have the witnesses been contacted in their positions as elected representatives about foods, medicines or other products not being available due to the protocol? The feedback I am getting in the North is that elected representatives are not being contacted in general on that issue. It would be interesting to hear their experience of that.

On the issue of all-Ireland co-operation, regardless of what background we are from, there is no doubt sections of the North are massively economically strapped because of a lack of co-operation and because the Border is, to a certain extent, a man-made barrier to movement, trade and business. I did a study in the North a number of years ago among people from all the different communities and they said that if we fund, plan and deliver services together, they will be better services, will have a more positive effect on people and will be more efficient as a result.

Another contributor spoke earlier about he feels that he should not speak about Irish unity at present. It is shocking that the Tánaiste was castigated for expressing the view that he felt there would be a united Ireland in his lifetime. Surely we must get to a situation that if we articulate views on a united Ireland or the union between the North of Ireland and Britain in a respectful fashion, that is perfectly legitimate and welcome. When people say we should not mention something because it will create anger or could create violence on the streets, it is those two responses that are wrong and not the respectful conversation in which we engage in the first instance.

Finally, pluralism has to be the solution to many of the difficulties in the North and, indeed, in all of Ireland. The idea of pluralism is that we do not necessarily have to wear each other's clothes, but we can be who we are to our full extent. Everybody in their community or group has the right to reach his or her full potential without fear or favour from the state. It is not necessarily about blending into a new identity, but that the existing identities are perfectly right and proper and can be what they are to their full extent without any negativity as a result.

There are some observations for the witnesses.