Mark Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Professor O'Leary for joining us all the way from the United States. I will leave the last word to Professor Alan Barrett. Earlier he referred to T.K. Whitaker. The latter wrote a memo to the then Taoiseach on 11 November 1968 on this very topic of the issue of reunification. In it he said:

We were, therefore, left with only one choice, a policy of seeking unity in Ireland by agreement in Ireland between Irishmen. Of its nature this is a long-term policy, requiring patience, understanding and forbearance and resolute resistance to emotionalism and opportunism. It is none the less patriotic for that.

We all know that if they had listened to T.K. Whitaker on 11 November 1968, the half-century that followed might have been different. I call Professor Alan Barrett who is leading up the ESRI, the very institute that T.K. Whitaker founded.