Mr. Patrick Quigley:

I have come to speak on behalf of St. Columb's College in Derry about how we can best make progress towards the reunification of our island. As a young person and a child of the Good Friday Agreement, I believe it is our imperative our views form the foundation on which the movement towards the unification of this country is built. The future of Ireland's youth hinges on the foundational steps being taken in this Chamber as we speak.

I worry, however, that recent events have soured this debate. The current discourse regarding a united Ireland has been dominated by the most recent data from census 2021, where, as I am sure everyone is aware, Catholics have outnumbered Protestants in Northern Ireland for the first time. I implore this committee and the people of Ireland not to make any assumptions that a united Ireland is somehow more inevitable or that it has become substantially more likely. It is this kind of dismissive, tribal attitude that will kill the dream of unification. The people of Northern Ireland, be they nationalist or unionist, young or old, will strike down the idea of unity without hesitation if the most important economic and political bread-and-butter issues that matter to them are not resolved before a Border poll is even called. In the words of the late John Hume, "You can’t eat a flag". Superfluous cultural issues must not take precedence over the economic and political issues. I believe strongly that the issues that animate the modern youth of Ireland are the bread-and-butter economic they face, or could face, in a united Ireland.

For young people to contemplate a reunified Ireland, the Republic must attempt to resolve the housing crisis before the voting youth can feel secure that their economic future in a united Ireland is tenable. On 1 August this year, only 716 homes were available for rent in the entire country. This disproportionately affects young people in the Republic and adds a new dimension to the already-difficult cost-of-living crisis plaguing the country. A radical, progressive rate of tax that increases exponentially in line with one's wealth would swell Government reserves and could finance the construction of more social housing for the general population. Some progress has been made with the Housing for All initiative to alleviate the undersupply problem. Sky News has quoted the strategy's detractors, however, who have stated that 14 of the planned targets have gone unmet. This must be resolved before a referendum can even be called.

A united Ireland will be met with hostility if there are no plans in place for how an all-island health service can be set up, and the infrastructure that grounds this hypothetical health service must be in place before a referendum can occur. A unified, integrated health service would also alleviate the crippling hospital waiting times on both sides of the Border and ensure that waiting times for ambulances were lower, provided the Irish national health service were well funded, on an all-Ireland basis, with a progressive tax system and higher tax rates for wealthier citizens. There have been promising commitments under the Government's Sláintecare initiative to lower health costs, but the people of Northern Ireland will not vote "Yes" in a Border poll unless they can be assured these costs will be eliminated.

A recurring theme here relates to the importance of an unprecedentedly progressive system of taxation in making a united Ireland viable. Without more money at the Government's disposal, it simply cannot accommodate Northern Ireland, especially considering that in 2021, Northern Ireland received a record £15 billion subsidy from London. A new Ireland must be able temporarily to match this until a sustainable economic arrangement can be found, not just for Northern Ireland but also for all the regions of Ireland that are economically dependent on Dublin. These regions must be able to stand on their own two feet in order for the entire country to thrive collectively.

To avoid the calamities of the Brexit referendum, a Border poll must be held with new, radical and innovative methods. For a united Ireland to work, it must make use of the innovative minds of Ireland to create a never-before-seen constitutional wonder that is prosperous, pluralistic and industrious, and that holds the Good Friday Agreement to be sacrosanct. A united Ireland must provide a home for all of Ireland's people, especially now given that within the Twenty-Six Counties, one in six people is now an immigrant. As Ireland develops into a modern, multicultural and tolerant society, so too must its Government and Constitution. The Good Friday Agreement must be held alongside the Constitution as a foundational document of a new Ireland.

I commend the Seanad on making these preparations now and listening to the Irish people. Such open-mindedness and the accessibility of these public consultations will form the backbone of any drive to reunify Ireland. Done right, the reunification of this island will be a seminal moment in our generation’s lives and for generations to come, and we can revive the Celtic tiger.