Dr. Joanne McEvoy:

I would just like to echo Professor Todd's point in response to Francie Molloy about whether there was an acceptance of change. There was an overwhelming interest in the discussion but not necessarily acceptance of change, and certainly not change as something that is inevitable. The process of discussion should be seen as an opportunity to reflect on the problems that face ordinary people and as an opportunity to bring about the types of change that would make a better society for all, should that include constitutional change or not.

What is also relevant here in response to Paul Maskey is that there was a clear view that there was what we call a discursive barrier to participation in our work. We talk about this discursive barrier where women's groups reflect on the language used or what they see as a loaded political language around a united Ireland, unification and so on, which seemed to push people down an institutional discussion, where there was a desire to pull back a bit, to slow down and to frame the discussion around what is important to people rather than abstract ideas.