Mr. Brian Dougherty:

As someone who is a member of the board of Cricket Ireland, an all-island body, sport is very important to me. One of the questions to add to those asked by Mr. Pollak is what will happen to the Northern Ireland football team in the context of all-Ireland support for the cricket team and the rugby team.

I agree with Senator Cassells that timing is everything. There is growing civic unrest in Northern Ireland based on a growing disconnect between civic and political unionism, for example, and within our community, the question is how we bridge that internal, fractious gap that is growing. The time is not right for this conversation and the pushing of this constitutional debate. As Senator Cassells has said, people are more interested in rearing their wains and paying their heating bills and we need to bear that in mind.

As I said at the start, none of this should be a negotiation around necessity. It should be about generosity, listening and understanding. The type of conversation we are having today is another step along the way.