Failing to plan for united Ireland 'a black mark on Taoiseach's legacy' – Mary Lou McDonald

Sinn Féin leader hits out at Micheál Martin amid Government opposition to her party's bill on preparing for Irish unity

Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald and Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill spoke to the media at Leinster House today, Tuesday, ahead of Constitutional Change Bill debate. Picture: Leah Farrell/RollingNews

Refusing to fully plan for a united Ireland will be a "black mark" on Micheál Martin's legacy as Taoiseach, the Dáil has heard.

The Government is opposing a Sinn Féin bill on preparing for Irish unity that would require the Taoiseach to prepare and publish a green paper on Irish unity within 18 months and provide for the convening of a Citizens’ Assembly to discuss the issue.

Describing her party's bill as "historic", Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said that, if passed, the legislation would be the first ever to direct the Government to start planning for a united Ireland. She said: 

Peace is secure, it is robust, resilient, and commands wide support, and it is now time to write the next chapter, the chapter of reunification.

"The Good Friday Agreement was about institutional arrangements and human rights standards. However, at the very core of the agreement is the provision of the right of all people, north and south, to determine Ireland's future at the ballot box by way of referendums, and we now need to do the work necessary to plan and prepare for the people to vote on a united Ireland," she said.

Waterford TD Conor D McGuinness said the Taoiseach has "no right" to stand in the way of "hope, ambition, and the future of younger generations".

"If he refuses to plan for unity, that refusal will become a black mark on his legacy," Mr McGuinness told the Dáil.

However, Micheál Martin said the bill would "do little" to achieve its objective and "instead of waving flags in people's faces and talking about the inevitable march of history, we need people to be open about the scale of the obstacles to overcome".

Mr Martin added that producing a policy statement is "not new" and would "recommit us to an approach that has failed repeatedly over the past 100 years".

Dismissing the proposal to hold a citizens' assembly on the matter, Mr Martin said: "A policy of one more push and hoping for an unpopular government in London will achieve nothing."

Fine Gael wants a united Ireland

Tánaiste Simon Harris said he wants to see a united Ireland, adding that he believes "that's an aspiration shared in one form or another by an overwhelming majority" of TDs.

However, he said constitutional change would require "significant adjustments" for everyone and is simply not a "merger or a takeover".

Constitutional change cannot be driven by deadlines or arbitrary timelines, cannot rest on assumptions to happen. 

"It has to be carefully prepared for, honestly debated, and above all, built on durable consent," said Mr Harris.

Responding to the remarks from the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael leaders, Sinn Féin TD Matt Carthy asked what the members of the first Dáil, who met in the Mansion House, would think of the argument being put forward by the Government.

"What would they think of the Taoiseach and Tánaiste saying essentially that 107 years after the first Dáil, 50 years after conflict, 30 years after the Good Friday Agreement, 10 years after Brexit, that it's too soon to talk about delivering a free and united Ireland."

Labour, the Green Party, Aontú and Social Democrats are all supporting the bill.

Social Democrats TD, Jen Cummins said "playing politics" with this issue is "not acceptable".

Labour's Conor Sheehan, who was born in 1993 and never knew violence on this island, said he believes "our republic is unfinished because of partition."

• Elaine Loughlin, Political Editor