Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)

Despite 100 years of partition, the ties that bind us together remain strong. Many of us have family ties across the Border, such as my family ties in Enniskillen, Belleek and Derry. Those cousins are just as Irish as I am. Some 20,000 to 30,000 people cross the Border every day to work. When my club, Na Gaeil, plays in the latter stages of the all-Ireland club championship, we have to deal with the challenges of teams from both sides of the Border in Ulster.

Politically, we also have to combat the lines that the Irish State cannot afford the North or that a united Ireland is not economically viable. Watching the football matches last week, I could not help imagining the impetus, promise and hope that a united team could bring. Talking to a Portuguese man, he was confused that Norman Whiteside and Mickey Walsh never played together on the same team. There are other issues that do not make sense either. For example, the only port capable of handling offshore wind on this island is in Belfast, but it is being used to develop offshore wind in Britain rather than on this island.

Canvassing in Irvinestown in the most recent Assembly election showed me that the issues are the same, North and South, namely housing, health, the cost of living, refuse and transport. Brexit and Covid showed that we need to plan for the future. In 2018, for the first time since records and surveys began, the North exported more goods to other countries than to Britain. We have an opportunity to tackle the issues and interests of all the people on the island. Unity will create new opportunities, new prosperity, more employment, higher potential tax revenue and also cultural and social benefits. However, if we do not plan to get there, it is never going to happen. Hiding behind the excuse of having to deal with certain issues like legacy is not going to help us get anywhere.

From an environmental point of view, just transition, the environment, renewable energy and proper public transport should be the cause of Ireland, just as the cause of Ireland should be the environment, climate and transport. Ireland is ecologically depleted compared with the rest of Europe. Through real unification, we can break with the liberal green agenda, look at the legacies of colonialism and neoliberalism and maximise our resources to ensure they are translated into national wealth for all.

We need a future based on equality, sustainability, fairness and opportunity. We need a date for a referendum now.

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