Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

With every passing day, we lurch closer to a British exit from the European Union without a deal that safeguards the interests of Ireland North and South. That is not something which anyone in the House wishes to see because we all know the dire consequences that it would entail, namely, the return of a hard border, severe economic difficulties on both parts of our island, the erosion of the Good Friday Agreement and the weakening of citizens' rights. Despite nobody in the House desiring such an outcome, however, it is regrettably a real and distinct possibility which we must face up to. It may well happen by accident or design. Instead of staring blindly into the abyss, I challenge the Taoiseach to look beyond it and stand up and be counted as a Taoiseach for the whole island of Ireland. Will he state loudly and clearly that if a no-deal Brexit happens, he will put forward the case for Irish unity? Will he state he will call on the British Government to take the only step it should in that scenario, namely, put the constitutional future of the North to the people in a referendum? If the people of our island are to be disregarded and have their futures upended by a political establishment in Britain that does not care for them, they must have their say.

In a series of polls, a majority in the North have indicated that in a no-deal scenario, they would vote for a united Ireland, while polls indicate a similar sentiment in this part of our island. It is time for the Taoiseach to grasp the gravity of that and articulate that he, too, would like to see a unity referendum held in the event of a no-deal Brexit. It is a more than reasonable proposition which all of us in the House should support and there is sound rationale for so doing. In 2017, the European Council agreed that our entire island would be afforded membership of the EU in the event of national reunification. While none of us wants a no-deal situation to transpire, if that is not possible, a referendum on Irish unity, which is provided for in the Good Friday Agreement, must be called as the only sensible, logical and rational response which could provide a pathway for the entire island, North and South, to retain membership of the European Union.

This conversation is happening anyway, regardless of Brexit. The great upheaval, however, that a crash out will cause could well be the catalyst that accelerates the demand for Irish unity throughout our island, and we need to be prepared for that. We are already behind the curve in respect of preparing to facilitate constitutional and political change, but there is an imperative for such preparation. A momentum is building, as can be seen every day by anybody who has any inkling of what is happening in the North of our island. It is building for Irish unity and we need institutional and legislative arrangements in place to manage that change. The Taoiseach and his Government need to prepare for change and that preparation should include convening an all-Ireland forum on Irish unity without delay, deal or no deal. The onus on the Government must always be to defend and promote an all-Ireland view.

I appeal to the Taoiseach to say that if a no-deal Brexit transpires, he will call on the British Government to hold a referendum on Irish unity in the North. I call on him to say that he will organise a referendum on Irish unity in this State in line with the provisions set out in the Good Friday Agreement. There is nothing radical about what I am asking the Taoiseach. A referendum on unity is expressly provided for in the Good Friday Agreement. It is an agreement that was overwhelmingly endorsed by the people of our island, North and South, over 20 years ago. Instead of staying silent on this issue, defending the agreement and doing right by it in a no-deal scenario requires sticking with the agreement and its provisions. It must be our ultimate backstop and our mission statement in finding a way forward for our country where all 32 counties will be respected and can stay within the European Union if a no-deal Brexit transpires. That means that a referendum on Irish unity needs to be held and an all-Ireland forum on Irish unity needs to be convened without delay.

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