Convening citizens' assembly on border poll 'not even on Government's radar'

Simon Coveney dismisses suggestion that election results in the North have brought a border poll closer

Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald yesterday called on the Taoiseach to convene a citizens' assembly to examine a vote on a united Ireland in the wake of the assembly elections in the North. Picture: PA

Convening a citizens’ assembly on a border poll is “not even on the radar” of the Government, despite the historic outcome of the Northern Ireland elections.

Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney has shot down any claims that the election results have brought a border poll closer, arguing “the balance between the nationalist vote and the unionist vote hasn’t changed hugely”.

He added it was the “middle ground” Alliance Party, which more than doubled its seats, represents “outstanding change”.

Sinn Féin has secured 27 Assembly seats, making it the largest party in Northern Ireland, ahead of the DUP, which won 25 seats.

Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald at the count centre in Magherafelt at the weekend with MLAs Ciara Ferguson, Pádraig Delargy, and Michelle O'Neill who is the party's leader in the North, and is set to become First Minister. Picture: Liam McBurney/PA

Naomi Long’s Alliance Party has gone from nine to 17 seats, making it the third-largest party in Stormont.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald yesterday called on the Taoiseach to convene a citizens’ assembly to examine a united Ireland border poll in the wake of the Northern Ireland elections.

She told Newstalk radio that politicians on both sides of the border must now accept that “we are in times of very profound change”. She added: 

That change has to be managed, because we’ve seen, for example, in the Brexit experience, just how chaotic things can become if there isn’t that level of planning and that level of engagement.

“I think the Citizens’ Assembly needs to be triggered by the Taoiseach, this process needs to be led by Dublin, in my view.”

However, this has been dismissed, with a Government spokesperson stating: “I don’t think that’s anything that’s imminent”.

“The Taoiseach has been quite consistent in saying there’s a time and a place for that,” the spokesperson said. “We have got to make the Good Friday Agreement work first.”

The spokesperson also said there are question marks around the resumption of the Stormont Assembly, which “shows how much work you’ve got to do to get the Good Friday Agreement work”.

The spokesperson added that the Citizens’ Assembly proposal is “not even on the radar” and is not something members of Government are discussing.

Re-establishing the Stormont executive after Friday’s election will now involve protracted talks, with the DUP refusing to take up its seats until the British government addresses its concerns around the Northern Ireland Protocol.

DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson failed to confirm whether his party will serve in an executive with Sinn Féin’s Michelle O’Neill as First Minister, stating: “Let’s cross all the bridges when we get to them.”

Northern Ireland secretary of state Brandon Lewis will talk to political parties separately in Northern Ireland today, and has said there are issues with the protocol that must be resolved.

Sinn Féin MP Michelle Gildernew (second from left) celebrating at the Meadowlands in Magherafelt with MLAs Jemma Dolan, Áine Murphy, and Colm Gildernew. Picture: Liam McBurney/PA

Mr Lewis said it was “really frustrating that the EU have not shown the flexibility” needed around the protocol, adding that the British government has always said that nothing will be taken off the table.

However, Mr Coveney said the EU “has been willing to show a lot of flexibility over the last 12 months to try and find a basis for agreement”, but the British government has “taken those proposals, banked them and said: ‘We need more’.”

He said “intensive talks” and compromise from both sides will now be required to ensure powersharing gets back up and running.

Mr Coveney said he did not believe the outcome of the elections has brought a border poll closer: 

People have a right to aspire to a border poll, of course they have, that is just as legitimate as people who want to maintain the union. 

“We have to respect both of those perspectives. That’s what politics is about, it’s about tolerance and respecting difference, particularly in Northern Ireland. So both aspirations are equally legitimate.

"From from my point of view, what we need to focus on for the next number of weeks and months is actually building trust between the parties resolving the obstacles to devolved government functioning. again, the protocol being the main one of those," he said.