Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I echo Senator Wilson's request. It would be the right and decent thing to do.

Brexit brings many problems to the UK and Ireland. Communities on all sides on this island are going to have to learn to work together to deal with some of them. Some of the utterances that have come out of Leinster House from all parties and none in recent months are a matter of some concern to me. It is no secret that I served in the Royal Irish Rangers during which service I made friends with people from all traditions in Northern Ireland. It is no secret that since leaving the Royal Irish Rangers over 40 years ago, I would have made friends from all traditions on this side. I am as much of a republican as anybody else in this room. We hear people jumping on opportunist statements talking about the reunification of Ireland as a result of Brexit. Those statements are dangerous. I am being contacted by former colleagues - people I have not met for 35 years - who are from the Protestant tradition and who tell me that there might be a united Ireland at some stage in the future and that they might even go for it but that they will not be bullied into a united Ireland or some sort of quick referendum to unite Ireland because of Brexit.They say they take grave exception to people outside the Sinn Féin Party making those statements. While they expect Sinn Féin will always seek to take the opportunist approach to shout about a united Ireland, they would have expected other parties to show some respect for their feelings and for the feelings of the parties that represent them in the North of Ireland. I am travelling to the North of Ireland tomorrow and I hope we can discuss some of this with the politicians at the Northern Ireland Public Services Alliance, NIPSA, meeting.