Micheál Martin says Good Friday Agreement's potential for unity has not been fulfilled

Tánaiste tells BBC that 'it’s about reconciliation and unifying people: There will be new political configurations of that I have no doubt.'

Tánaiste and foreign affairs minister Micheál Martin during a press conference at Mansion House, in London, after the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference earlier this year. 

Tánaiste Micheál Martin has said the potential for communities to reconcile as part of the Good Friday Agreement has not been fulfilled.

In an interview with the BBC, the Tánaiste declined to say whether he believed he would see a united Ireland in his lifetime, but said he had no doubt there would be “new political configurations” across the island.

Mr Martin said there needed to be a political focus on reconciliation:  

We didn’t really fulfil the potential of the Good Friday Agreement on reconciliation, full reconciliation between traditions and communities.

“We’ve the hard, practical work of that to do yet.”

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has previously said he believes he would see a united Ireland in his lifetime.

Unionists figures including DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson and Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris have said they do not foresee a united Ireland over the coming years.

Asked if he believed he would see a united Ireland in his lifetime, Mr Martin said: “How long do you think I’m going to live? Will it be in my lifetime? I heard that in the 1970s, I heard the taoiseach being asked that.”

“There will be new political configurations, of that I have no doubt.

"I can’t be precise on how all of that evolves, but the fundamental point is, nothing matters unless we reconcile." 

Mr Martin said there would be “new political configurations” but that the focus should be on “unifying people”.

I’m a Republican, I’m of the Wolfe Tone tradition, which basically means uniting. 

Speaking about the ethos of Wolfe Tone, Mr Martin said it involved the coming together “in his day Protestant, Catholic and dissenter; in the modern era, by the way, you can add a few more to that”.

“Irish-British people have defined themselves as Northern Irish, you have 20% of the population in the Republic, not born on the island of Ireland, who are now residents, citizens and so on, like that.

“So the point I’m trying to make today is, it’s about reconciliation and unifying people.

“There will be new political configurations of that I have no doubt.

“I can’t be precise on how all of that evolves, but the fundamental point is, nothing matters unless we reconcile.” He added: “We do need to learn how to live together, how to share the space that we all call home.”

Northern Ireland Office minister Steve Baker told the 65th plenary of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly that the Brexit referendum “probably should have been a supermajority” of at least 60%.

The Conservative MP, who was a strong advocate of Brexit, further stated that a “50% plus one” majority would not be advisable for a vote on Irish unification”.

Mr Martin said Mr Baker was “not right” to suggest that a supermajority should be necessary in a referendum for a united Ireland.

“The agreement is the agreement and it’s there, and I think ministers need to be careful in my view, in sort of talking in terms of super majorities,” he said.

“You can’t rewrite agreements on the hoof. These are very fundamental constitutional agreements that were endorsed by the people of the island.

“It’s a very important point. You can’t just casually dismiss that. You can say ‘well, you need 60% for this, or 70% for that referendum’ — referendums are referendums.

“It’s time for a positive, proactive, pragmatic approach to understanding how we share this space together. That’s what’s required.”