Peadar Tóibín
Question:87. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs what preparation his Department has undertaken for a united Ireland or a united Ireland referendum. [50585/23]
View answerTuesday, 21 November 2023
Questions (87)
Written answers
The principle of consent and the possibility of change in the constitutional status of Northern Ireland are fundamental elements of the Good Friday Agreement, endorsed by the people of this island North and South.
The Government's approach in relation to unity is guided by Article 3 of the Constitution, as amended by the people in 1998. Putting this constitutional choice to the people was part of the finely balanced settlement reached as part of the Good Friday Agreement negotiations. It was both a concrete and highly symbolic expression of our commitment to a creating a new path for politics on this island. A path that, after decades of horrifying violence, would be characterised exclusively by peaceful and democratic means of pursuing our constitutional ambitions. The holding of a referendum on unity in this jurisdiction is connected with the calling of a poll, under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, in Northern Ireland. Under the Good Friday Agreement, the decision to hold such a poll in Northern Ireland rests with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
In the event of a future referendum within the constitutional provisions of the Good Friday Agreement, the Government would make all necessary preparations in accordance with the terms of the Constitution and the principles and procedures of the Agreement.
The Government respects and affirms everyone’s right on the island to make the case for the constitutional future for Northern Ireland they wish to see, whether they are nationalist, unionist, or do not identify with either tradition. I have been on the record many times, both in this House and elsewhere, on the future that I wish to work towards.
The Government’s immediate focus at this time is on getting the full range of the Good Friday institutions up and running, across all three strands. It is deeply disappointing that 18 months on from the last Assembly elections, Northern Ireland's power-sharing institutions remain blocked, and as a result the North-South Ministerial Council is also prevented from fulfilling the responsibilities mandated to it by the Good Friday Agreement. An improved spirit of partnership is needed if the Agreement's potential is to be fulfilled and genuine reconciliation is to be achieved.
Any consideration of the constitutional future of this island must include reconciliation. I believe that we must urgently focus our efforts to address this incomplete work of reconciliation. We should rightly be proud of the enduring peace that the Agreement secured but we must also frankly recognise that while there has been immense progress, clearly the vision for a reconciliation of all communities and traditions has not yet been achieved. This is a challenge that all leaders must rise to meet.
It is also why I was proud to establish the Government’s Shared Island initiative. At a recent Shared Island Dialogue event on the question of ‘identity’, I observed that there has never been sufficient, sustained focus on tackling entrenched sectarianism and disadvantage in Northern Ireland, and that we need to do more to understand one another. Through dialogue, research, and practical cooperation, I believe that the Shared Island initiative will continue to play an important role in driving forward this work of reconciliation.