Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I imagine we are all in agreement that conversations involving people from all backgrounds constitute the way forward. This is something on which I have engaged. I have taken part in the type of weekend meetings the Taoiseach described. It is very important to have engagement and to speak to people from different backgrounds who have different points of view and different lived realities. This is extremely important. It is something I would in no way want to diminish. This work is something on which we in Sinn Féin have been very active for a long period.

What I am saying with regard to a national citizens' assembly is that the conversation in respect of our future has progressed. I do not mean just among the people in this room who deal with politics every day; I am talking about people who, before Brexit and Covid, never necessarily had that much of a thought about or interest in the constitutional future, but it has become far more of a daily reality for them. People do bring this up and they do discuss this. I am not just speaking about people who have had strong points of view previously. The idea of a national citizens' assembly would be to move the conversation on and have a forum for people to have these conversations. The idea of a national citizens' assembly would be that people from all backgrounds and all perspectives would be able to come together and have this conversation. We all know that the only way we can move forward in any capacity is through conversations. I agree with the Taoiseach on this. There is a role for a national citizens' assembly in this regard.