Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I happen to think that a strategic communications unit might be a good idea, provided we know what strategy is involved and we have much more information on it instead of it just being dropped in, as it were, in one or two sentences. I would imagine that this could be a Tony Blair type machine, but it could equally be something that looks at the main strategic objectives of a Government. One would argue that, at this time, they have to include the delivery of the Good Friday Agreement, Brexit, a united Ireland and how one would get and win a referendum on unity.

That brings us to who it is we need to engage with. The Government needs to engage with people in the North. It is very important that there would be an ongoing engagement. Some parts of the North cannot even get RTE. The images coming out of the North during this 12 July period are very upsetting and offensive. I think they would be considered hate crimes in anyone's book. They are the work of a very small minority, however. The vast majority of the Orange celebrations will go on without any great disruption to people's lives. However, one asks if the Taoiseach has thought about engaging with people in the North through the media about Brexit.

The Government's position is wrong on Brexit. It wants a designated status for the North outside of the European Union when the only sensible position is to have a designated status for the North inside it. Would this strategic communications unit deal with that issue in the North and our friends in Britain and, of course, the big issue of a united Ireland? If the Taoiseach is serious about it, surely the strategic communications unit should be tasked with communicating the Government's position on that important issue.

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