Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In the 15 minutes allocated to me, I have some remarks to make and some issues I would like to tease out with the Taoiseach. If we could engage in an interactive format and the Taoiseach could respond, that would be very helpful.

Today is the first occasion on which Deputy Martin, as Taoiseach, presented himself for Leaders' Questions and also the Revised Estimates. In building for the future, it should be understood that Irish unity is the very best plan for this island and for our people. It should be recalled that we are living in times of change across the island and in relationships between our island and that of Britain. Brexit and the Covid-19 public health emergency have reshaped how people think and talk about reunification. Both of these crises have shown very dramatically the danger and jeopardy of the Border on our island. No longer is Irish unity discussed only in aspirational terms, it is now increasingly regarded as a common-sense approach and essential to the prosperity of all of our people. I say that because growing our green economy requires an all-Ireland approach. Protecting and building public health services and protecting public health requires an all-Ireland approach, as does strengthening our agricultural sector and defending rural Ireland. All of these things must be all-Ireland in nature. This conversation is happening across the island. People from many different perspectives are reconsidering long-held views and they are looking anew at the prospect of a new Ireland, a united Ireland, and asking how this might deliver a better future for us all.

Given all of that, it is disappointing that constitutional change on Irish unity is not featured in the programme for Government. This missed opportunity was compounded by the fact that the Taoiseach failed to appoint anyone from the North to the Seanad. That was a grave mistake. I think we would all agree that the former Senator, Ian Marshall, made a very valuable contribution to the Seanad. He was a strong, independent, unionist and anti-Brexit voice and a very welcome addition to our political discourse. It is very important that Northern society be represented within the Oireachtas and that people from a unionist tradition be included, and so the Taoiseach got this one wrong. Ironically, it flies in the face of commitments made by previous Fianna Fáil Governments to ensuring Northern representation in the Oireachtas. The Taoiseach will recall that that was committed to by his predecessor Bertie Ahern - fadó, fadó.

In light of all that, I ask the Taoiseach about his shared island unit. He stated it will be up and running and have a programme of work by the end of this month. No provision is made for this unit in the Estimate. Will the Taoiseach explain that? What exactly is the unit going to do? Will he establish an Oireachtas joint committee on Irish unity? Will he convene an all-island representative citizens' assembly, or such an appropriate forum, to discuss and plan for constitutional change? Will he initiate the process for a referendum and get clarity on what the thresholds for triggering such a referendum might be? I ask that the Taoiseach respond to those initial questions and I will then raise two other issues relating to the Estimates.

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