Tom Clonan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank everybody who contributed to the discussion. I mentioned earlier that at least 1 million people on this island are frightened, by which I did not mean the unionist community. I count myself among those who are frightened because I do not necessarily see people doing their utmost in terms of what is going to happen next on the island. I have witnessed conflict here, in the Middle East and in the former Yugoslavia. The situation now is not like it was when people like Bill and Hillary Clinton, Bertie Ahern, Tony Blair and Seamus Mallon were involved. What happens next will be lived by people like my 18-year-old daughter, my 21-year-old and my 20-year-old.

I have a fear about what would happen if we do not talk about it. This policy is capable of producing negative consequences, though I will not use the word to say what it might make of it. I do not want my children to witness what I witnessed and what the witnesses have all seen and remember. I have a question about addressing that fear. Mr. Carlile mentioned that there were four unionist voices at the event. How do we encourage more people from all the different communities to be involved? I represent 70,000 constituents on the island, who are Trinity graduates. They are all over the UK, Scotland, Wales, Canada and Australia. How do we engage with that community and with all the people here who possibly do not understand the urgency of what will happen next? I commend and congratulate Senator Black on the event and initiative, which I think is important.

I suggest that we could focus on involving the disability community at the next event. At present, Ireland is the worst country in the European Union to have a disability. I know that for a fact. If we had a conversation about making the island of Ireland the best place in the world to have a disability or additional needs, then I guarantee that everything else would follow, including security, social protection, education and health. It would all follow. It is just a question of how we involve those additional voices.