Gay Mitchell (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)

If patriotism is the love of one's country does this mean the love of soil before the love of souls? Surely people rather than geography is what counts. If souls count more than soil, then a united Ireland can only come about by agreement. I want a united Ireland; I am a Nationalist. The word "nationalism" comes from the word "natio" which means greater community. The community I envisage is a community of people, living willingly side-by-side and without coercion.

All political entities evolve. We learn from our mistakes, the horrors of war and the pains of the past. This learning process is, for example, the raison d'être of the European Union, the objective of which is to ensure that the mayhem of two world wars never revisits our Continent. If the seven signatories of the Proclamation of 1916 could have looked forward to an Irish State which had successfully completed its sixth Presidency of a European Union of 25 member states, would they have been proud? I believe they would and we should be proud too.

A million Protestants cannot be bombed into a united Ireland. What is more, 4 million Nationalists cannot be bombed, blackguarded or bullied either.

Provisional Sinn Féin won the equivalent of the lottery — the opportunity to be in government in Northern Ireland on a permanent basis, to choose the Deputy First Minister, to participate in the North-South Ministerial Council and to make appointments to the specially created North-South organisations. It also has the right to sit in Dáil Éireann and, if it takes its chances with the rest of us, the opportunity to be in government here too. It also appears that under the proposals made before Christmas, its Northern representatives could be given the right to participate in some way in the debates of the Oireachtas. This for an organisation that can muster five Deputies out of 166 and has no Senators. Avarice and bad judgment on the part of the Provos has turned what was a win-win situation for them into a win or lose situation unless common sense penetrates very hard heads.

In the final analysis, the question the Provos face is whether they have become addicted to the daily and weekly need for the photo opportunity at Government Buildings, Downing Street or the White House, or are they prepared to roll up their sleeves and take on the often mundane but honourable and sometimes exciting role which political activity can provide, a real role in healing and shaping our society?

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