![\"Orangemen](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/0025120a-614.jpg\"\/)
\nThe Orange Order had been permitted to bring 35 members down the Garvaghy Road in an early morning silent march<\/p>\n
He further criticised rhetoric around the “inevitability” of Irish unification as “implicitly side-lining persuasion or change as prerequisites” for the constitutional change.<\/p>\n
He said this has a “sense of the old historical mistake being repeated”, adding: “Where nationalists gather together to agree how right we are and how everything will be fine.”<\/p>\n
The Fianna F\u00e1il leader set out what he sees as three core elements in how to proceed – including separating debates on unity from North-South action that needs to be taken “irrespective of votes on constitutional futures”, as well as reforms of the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive.<\/p>\n
He said he was “very conscious” that governments in past decades regularly refused to “get involved in escalating controversies and did not see the news cycle as defining their work”.<\/p>\n
Mr Martin outlined his third element as “action to define and develop a rigorous, independent and dispassionate base of knowledge on which you can have a credible discussion about constitutional futures”.<\/p>\n
“A new initiative is required to do the significant work required,” he said.<\/p>\n
“This must ensure that the public has access to independent, trustworthy and comprehensive information about the practical implications, legal, social, economic, cultural and political of different possible constitutional frameworks,” he added.<\/p>\n
Mr Martin contended that one-sided information campaigns which “avoid genuinely tough questions” such as financial costs “undermines the case being made”.<\/p>\n
He said there was “a new approach” which enjoys cross-community support while “framing an evidence base on what is involved in a new constitutional framework”.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a book launch, Mr Martin said he would discuss his proposal more comprehensively in the future but added: “Action would, in the first instance, be about defining what needs to be known so that people can design and engage in informed debate about their proposals for the future.<\/p>\n
“This new approach would provide a good faith opportunity for those outside the nationalist tradition to participate.<\/p>\n
“Critically, it would challenge all traditions to move from making general assertions about the future to engaging with hard evidence.<\/p>\n
“After a century of divergence, we have enormous gaps in our knowledge about the challenges of a new constitutional future – and we have to be far more open to acknowledging the changes required of us.”<\/p>\n
Mr Martin’s comments come as Fianna F\u00e1il’s coalition partner also prepares to outline its plans for Irish unification.<\/p>\n
T\u00e1naiste and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris announced earlier this year that his party will launch a “blueprint” for Irish unity in November.<\/p>\n