Aontú leader and Meath West TD Peadar Tóibín TD asked the Taoiseach Mícheál Martin in the Dáil today to raise with the British Prime Minister the need for clarity on the mechanism that will decide on whether there is a referendum on Irish Unity.
An Teachta Tóibín stated:
“Taoiseach, there is a growing number of people in Ireland who support full Irish independence. Polls have shown that the majority of this state believe that the people who live in Ireland, should make the democratic decisions that affect their lives. Brexit showed that London has little interest in the north or little knowledge on the north. Irish independence and Irish self-determination is in touching distance of this generation The north of Ireland was purposely founded with an inbuilt 2/3s unionist majority to safeguard British rule in Ireland. Today according to election results, not one of the 6 counties has a unionist majority.
Taosieach you are becoming increasingly isolated on the issue of Irish unity. You spent the weekend back peddling and down playing the significance of Trumps statement. Taoiseach you are out of kilter with the Dáil, with your government partners and also with your own party. Indeed, former Fianna Fáil supporters came into the Aontú tent at the ploughing yesterday and stated how angry and frustrated they were, that Mícheal Martin was gutting this core value of Fianna Fáil.
You have given many excuses not to proceed with a campaign for unity. At one point you said that there had to be reconciliation first before unity could be considered. What evidence have you that reconciliation is more likely in a 6 county under British rule? Reconciliation occurred far faster in the south of Ireland under independence. Under the 6-county state it barely moved on at all. At your next meeting with Andy Burnham will you raise the mechanism for a decision on a referendum on Irish Unity. Will you do the job you are paid for and represent this Dáil?
I think its notable that you make this issue about you and SF. You do this on purpose in an effort to narrow the debate and reduce the attractiveness of the issue to the Irish people. But the truth is all of the parties on this side of the Dáil support Irish Unity.
The whole idea of the Good Friday Agreement was that the people of the north would decide their future. That’s all we are asking here. But incredibly, the people of the north have no idea as to what the democratic mechanism or threshold for a referendum is. The British of State for the north of Ireland has admitted that its opaque. Yet he won’t provide the detail as to when it could be acted upon. Will you at the next meeting with Andy Burnham call on the British to make the democratic process clear to the people.
Unity offers an amazing opportunity. I authored a report for the Oireachtas Enterprise Committee a number of years ago on the All Ireland Economy. I spoke to over 100 business people, trade unionists and civic groups in the north of Ireland. Many of these people were from different constitutional backgrounds. But all of them agreed that if we plan together, fund together and deliver services together that they would be better services and would cost less. An example of this is Health care.
Catherine Sherry was married with three children just north of the border. She was diagnosed with lymphoma in September 2024 at the age of 42. Treatment was not available to her in the north. It was available in Dublin, but she was not allowed access it.
Despite the fact that she was very ill and very weak, she was forced to go to London for treatment, for long periods of time away from her family. She died in London away from her family.
We should have a policy of treatment in the closest hospital. That would be of benefit to all patients on the island. Please don’t tell me that we have cross border health care. It minute and glacial. Its not the transformation that unity would bring”.
