Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

A dhaoine uaisle agus a chairde Gael, I begin by recognising and commending the contribution of the Seanad and Seanadóirí who, over the past century, have made a valuable contribution to the development of the society and democracy in this State, a democracy with many flaws, which matured with the passage of time to the point where it is now the bedrock upon which, when it arrives, a truly national democracy will be based.

I do not have much time and do not intend to analyse the detail of the past 100 years beyond mentioning the traumatic events bequeathed to us as a consequence of Britain's designs on Ireland and its people, which are, partition, civil war, a one-party unionist state in the North and the resistance to all of this by those seeking justice and national freedom. I intend my contribution to be future-focused and I have limited myself to the most important political issue facing the people of Ireland today, that is, the establishment of a new and independent Ireland, reflecting the people's democratically expressed wishes.

The Ireland of today is, of course, a significantly different place from the Ireland of 100 years ago when the Seanad was first established. For the first time ever, those seeking a new, independent and united Ireland have a clear and peaceful pathway to bringing that about, namely, through the Good Friday Agreement. Today, the political landscape has changed significantly, with my party, Sinn Féin, the lead party of government in the North and waiting to form a new administration there. It is also, of course, the main Opposition party in this State. The debate about Ireland's constitutional future is the foremost political topic of conversation across all sections of society, North and South. The Seanad will have a key role in giving space to those conversations. The debate is taking place in the Chambers of the Oireachtas, local government councils and city and town halls, as well as in academia, among economists, health professionals and educationalists. The topics being discussed are weighed and varied. These are the nuts and bolts, if you like, of the vision of a new Ireland.

The biggest challenge facing those of us advocating for such a new Ireland is convincing the unionist and Protestant people that their British and unionist identities are not only constitutionally guaranteed but will prosper as an integral and valued part of any new Ireland. We cannot say enough that the unionist people in the Six Counties are part of us, part of Ireland just like us. We want them to remain part of Ireland as we want our kith and kin to be part of Ireland whatever its constitutional future. I am proud to be a Northern voice in this Seanad but I am only one Northern voice. The Seanad has always been a space for the voices of our unionist brothers and sisters and it is a massive loss to this, the Twenty-sixth Seanad, that no such voice has been appointed or elected. We are the lesser for that.

I stress the importance of the Oireachtas and the Irish Government, and the leadership roles that both need to play as the constitutional debate unfolds. The importance of this role can be seen in the work of the shared island unit and in the recent initiative taken by the Seanad in holding a series of public hearings on our constitutional future. These are groundbreaking developments which need to be built on in the immediate time ahead. They reflect the potential that is waiting there to be tapped into by all of us together, le chéile. The Seanad has a diverse and storied history, not always without justified criticism. However, it has been, and can continue to be, a space for the many minority voices that make up the rich tapestry of the Irish nation.

Inniu, mhair an Seanad an céad. Tá súil agam go mbeidh taithí dhearfach agus fiúntach ag an Seanad agus muid ag dul isteach sa chéad chéad eile, go rachaimid ó neart go neart. Is againne mar Chomhaltaí agus mar shaoránaigh a bheidh an dúshlán sin. Creidim gur féidir linn.