Professor John Doyle:

I thank Senators for giving of their time and for their attendance. They have got a flavour of what has already been done but also how much remains to be done and the supports.

I will structure my conclusions around the question posed by Senator Black in terms of what could be done by a new Oireachtas committee. I believe that a new Oireachtas committee could do five things.

First, senior representatives could speak for their group or party. I do not mean just a group of random individuals in the Oireachtas but rather people who speak for the broader consensus and take a long-term view beyond any single parliamentary term, which is probably what we are talking about. It is not that every party will agree on every aspect of healthcare but we could get some broad brush things that largely represent the view of the Irish State and, therefore, a prospectus that we could put before the people in a referendum.

An Oireachtas committee would facilitate formal debate. Professor Brendan O'Leary, among others, has organised some deliberative events around the question of whether we keep Stormont so, in some ways, one very specific issue. We know from a couple of different events that people change their minds when they are exposed to evidence and debate, and in that case it was just over the course of one day. So people's starting point was instinctively one of, sure keep Stormont, that is what is there at the moment and this was in the Good Friday Agreement. When people were given evidence about, in particular, two-unit federal states not being good examples internationally because it tends to be "A" versus "B" and there is not the diversity one would get in Germany, Australia or America, the narratives were one of we will have free healthcare in the North and we are paying for it, or what happens if Stormont collapses so then it goes to the Irish State. By definition, if the North votes for a united Ireland then Stormont no longer represents a majority of pro-union votes by definition so, in some ways, how does it work? So deliberation at the formal level of the Oireachtas would be very helpful.

An Oireachtas committee would identify the issues of concern. Senator Clonan spoke about the view of 1 million people. I take issue with that aspect as 350,000 people vote for unionist parties and that includes very moderate unionists who said that they would campaign with every breath of their body against a united Ireland but will live with it if it happens. So I would not exaggerate the number of people who are going to be very frightened, potentially, but they are there in significant number.