Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Here is hoping. Members will also have seen the correspondence from the Taoiseach's office marking a year of the shared island initiative. He touched on that in his remarks in the Seanad recently. There is merit in us having a very specific focused discussion about the shared island initiative in its first year and the events it is planned to hold in the coming year as well. The weekend's Red C poll showed that 65% of respondents supported the establishment of a citizens' assembly to look at the need for constitutional change.

All of these realignments are happening here in Ireland, close to home in Scotland and far away in Barbados as well. If there is one lesson for us it is that we prepare, engage, include and talk and that we plan. There is positive merit in doing that. We should play a leading role in doing that and look at best practice around the world.I think that a discussion around our shared island and, indeed, on the future of our shared island would be very appropriate, timely and worthwhile.