Mark Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Everyone in the House has expressed their sympathies to the people of France on the tragic events in Paris, but the Government has said there is no increased risk of a terrorist attack in Ireland, something that is not borne out by the fact that three people from this country died fighting in Syria. The intelligence reports are that 30 people are currently fighting there and we know that the modus operandiof ISIS is for returning fighters to attack their home countries. We also know they are being encouraged to attack their neighbouring countries.

The UK estimates are that 2,000 UK residents have gone to fight in Syria, 500 of whom left this year. We know they will come back and their job will be to cause terror in England as well as here. Sending our troops abroad to bolster returning French troops is not prudent or wise. For the Government to say there is no increased risk of attack in Ireland does not lend itself to the security of the State. The Government needs to explain why it would send our troops abroad when, quite evidently, they will be required at home.

The Leader two weeks ago quite generously said he would facilitate a debate on a united Ireland. A study was launched yesterday in the Harvard Club in Manhattan, Modelling Irish Unification, done by a leading academic from the University of British Columbia who is the director of the Institute for European studies. It examined three different scenarios regarding unification, as well as regulation, tax harmonisation, the benefits in terms of cost reductions in transportation, currency issues and how the economy in the North would receive a 4% to 7.5% boost in its GDP if unification took place.

The study also showed that over an eight-year period there would be a €36.5 billion increase in productivity in the North and on the island. A "Prime Time" survey showed that 80% of people in the South are in favour of unification in their lifetime, that is, over the next two decades. I thank the Leader for organising and facilitating the debate on this. Our job is to argue for and against the proposition. I am favour of it and all political parties on both sides of the House state their aim is to achieve peaceful unification, as per Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution and the Good Friday Agreement.

We need to examine studies such as that launched yesterday in America and determine how we can work towards the aims of Articles 2 and 3 and the Good Friday Agreement. It will not just happen; we have to make it happen. We have to do so in a constructive way and engage with all parties to ensure that what is being done will be done correctly. I, Congressman Brendan Boyle and his brother, who is a State Representative for Pennsylvania, will hold a number of events throughout the US to help with this issue. We need a discussion and debate on it because, as "Prime Time" showed, the people in the South are in favour of unification.