{"id":538438,"date":"2026-07-08T01:42:11","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T01:42:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/538438\/"},"modified":"2026-07-08T01:42:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T01:42:11","slug":"united-ireland-is-the-big-idea-for-our-future-says-sinn-fein-leader-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/538438\/","title":{"rendered":"United Ireland is \u2018the big idea for our future\u2019 says Sinn F\u00e9in leader \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Taoiseach has rejected Sinn F\u00e9in<\/a>\u2019s Bill to prepare for a united Ireland and claimed it would \u201crecommit us to an approach which has failed repeatedly over the past 100 years\u201d.<\/p>\n

Miche\u00e1l Martin<\/a> said the legislation would \u201cinvolve an empty gesture\u201d and \u201cdo little to achieve its objective\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost importantly it would distract from urgent work which is essential before any honest and constructive debate about our constitutional future can be held.\u201d<\/p>\n

He was responding in the D\u00e1il<\/a> to Sinn F\u00e9in\u2019s Planning for Constitutional Change Bill, which obliges the Government to draft and publish a Green Paper on unification within 18 months.<\/p>\n

The Green Paper would then inform an all-island Citizens\u2019 Assembly, which would be set up to map out the costs, logistics and other practicalities of Irish unification. <\/p>\n

Introducing the Bill which she described as \u201chistoric\u201d, Sinn F\u00e9in leader Mary Lou McDonald<\/a> said it would \u201cput the work of uniting Ireland at the very heart of Government and the Oireachtas<\/a>\u201d.<\/p>\n

A united Ireland is the \u201cbig idea for our future\u201d, McDonald said. \u201cWe need to recognise that a united Ireland is the greatest opportunity of our generation.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Taoiseach denounced the 18-month deadline to set out a Green Paper as \u201cobviously not credible\u201d and believed a Citizens\u2019 Assembly was not the \u201cappropriate mechanism\u201d to advance the \u201cenormous work\u201d of securing unity.<\/p>\n

\u201cGiven the reality of past experience, please let\u2019s move beyond the new slogans that all we need is government advocacy and a Citizens\u2019 Assembly and then we\u2019ll be ready.<\/p>\n

\u201cA policy of \u2018one more push\u2019 and hoping for an unpopular government in London will achieve nothing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn contrast, our approach is rooted in the Good Friday Agreement.\u201d He added: \u201cThe starting point of true civic republicanism is to focus first on building understanding and shared interests between all communities.\u201d<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Unity supporters must be prepared to make Northern Ireland work, says leading unionistOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

But McDonald said: \u201cThere has been nothing rushed, hasty or pre-emptive about this process. We are nearly 30 years on from the Good Friday Agreement.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is now time to write the next chapter. The chapter of reunification.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd we now need to do the work necessary to plan and prepare for the people to vote on a united Ireland.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin insisted \u201cground-breaking, practical work\u201d was being done under the Shared Island<\/a> initiative.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have secured its legitimacy. We have shown that it is possible for people to reach across divides on the basis of shared interests.\u201d <\/p>\n

McDonald said reunification was \u201cabout seizing the moment and the opportunity to create a new deal for the people of Ireland \u2013 for every person on this island.<\/p>\n

\u201cA new deal for Protestants and unionists which protects their British identity, replacing the bad treatment and abandonment from Westminster with real ownership, inclusion and respect as citizens. To have a real stake in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sinn F\u00e9in Mayo TD Rose Conway-Walsh<\/a> told the Government: \u201cYou cannot hold the tide back forever.\u201d<\/p>\n

T\u00e1naiste Simon Harris<\/a> said: \u201cWe all seek a better future for this island, but there are genuine differences across the political spectrum and how we best go about that how we best achieve that future.\u201d<\/p>\n

At Tuesday evening\u2019s Cabinet meeting the Taoiseach and Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee<\/a> got Government agreement to oppose Sinn F\u00e9in\u2019s proposed legislation.<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Irish unity questions complicated by political instability in the UKOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

A Government statement said its policy on Northern Ireland<\/a> is focused supporting the operation of the Belfast Agreement<\/a>\u2019s institutions; the implementation of the Shared Island initiative; addressing the legacy of the Troubles; and promoting reconciliation. <\/p>\n

The statement added: \u201cWhile we are committed to a united Ireland what is proposed by Sinn F\u00e9in is not the correct approach.\u201d <\/p>\n

Earlier McDonald said she believed there was an \u201cinstinct\u201d in Fine Gael to start preparing for a referendum, and it would be \u201castonishing\u201d if Fianna F\u00e1il<\/a>, the republican party, voted against her party\u2019s proposal.<\/p>\n

The vote takes place on Wednesday evening.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Taoiseach has rejected Sinn F\u00e9in\u2019s Bill to prepare for a united Ireland and claimed it would \u201crecommit…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":538439,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[24987,15049,895,3775,61,60,3658,1843,127931,43,12636,3661,98224,70,3415],"class_list":["post-538438","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ireland","tag-belfast-agreement","tag-dail-eireann","tag-fianna-fail","tag-fine-gael","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-mary-lou-mcdonald","tag-micheal-martin","tag-neale-richmond","tag-news","tag-oireachtas","tag-rose-conway-walsh","tag-shared-island","tag-simon-harris","tag-sinn-fein"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/538438","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=538438"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/538438\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/538439"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=538438"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=538438"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=538438"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}