Sir, – Micheál Martin’s admission that talk of a Border poll makes him “go bananas” (Micheál Martin says talk of Border poll makes him go ‘bananas’, August 16th) is guaranteed to make party members like myself go nuts.
Yes, it’s true that “we did the Good Friday agreement”, like he says, but that same agreement got nationalists on board largely with the promise of a Border poll finally being agreed by the British. Almost 30 years later, it hasn’t happened yet, and the Taoiseach of the day has no interest in even preparing for it.
Leaving aside changing demographics and voting trends in the North, the volatile political situation in Britain means a vote could be thrust upon us at any moment.
Now is the time to at least start discussions about what a reunited Ireland might look like, with the people who will be directly affected. Failing to prepare is nothing short of political negligence.
RM Block
If the leader of Fianna Fáil continues to allow his personal antipathy towards Sinn Féin to override the legitimate aspiration to work towards Irish unity that all southern parties share, then he should step down and let someone else do the job that every leader since De Valera pledged to do. – Yours, etc,
DAVID CARROLL,
Castle Gate,
Dublin 2.
Sir, – Taoiseach Michael Martin says Border poll talk makes him “go bananas”.
One would hope that the housing crisis, the huge problems in healthcare, the devastation facing farmers, coastal erosion, the energy crisis, Israel’s genocide in Gaza, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Trump’s disastrous operations against Iran and the incompetent management of the new children’s hospital (to mention but a few) also produce some emotion. – Yours, etc,
DAVE ROBBIE,
Booterstown,
Co Dublin.
