Ms Liz O'Donnell:

I have a very serious view of it. Once the DUP came into the peace process and the talks I do not believe that the Irish Government did enough work with the unionist community. Maybe under the radar or at diplomatic level, and at civil society level it was done, but the Irish Government could have done much more to actually enhance reconciliation and confidence building with the unionist community. There is, of course, provision for a border poll. I feel, however, that people should not be premature in pushing that agenda. Things have been so slow in the institutions with reconciliation and given the political distrust in Northern Ireland, talk of a border poll is premature and sometimes provocative. We can envisage a border poll. There will be a border poll and it is in agreement but I would hope that before there is a border poll there would be a great deal more reconciliation and understanding between the parties in Northern Ireland and between North and South, and particularly with the unionist community. The unionist community would be a minority on the island if there was political union. We do not want the same thing happening again of people feeling mitigated by the fact that they are a minority just because it was a majority vote. One cannot coerce people in Northern Ireland who have British allegiance, which is their entitlement. It is an equal aspiration as is the aspiration for unity. One cannot coerce them into a situation they are not willing to accept. We could be back with a very angry loyalist situation, which nobody would want. We must all be patient with the process. I am aware that it has been 25 years but in reality progress was so slow in getting the parties together, in having the institutions, and in implementing the agreement. Time has passed quite slowly. We have not really achieved the great promise of the Good Friday Agreement. Now is not the time for hasty moves. We should all just be calm and thinking of each other and minding our peace.