Sinn Féin would put responsibility for planning for a united Ireland at the heart of government if it takes power after the next general election, the party’s ardfheis has been told.
The handling of Northern Ireland issues would move from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to the Department of the Taoiseach, Sinn Féin Mayo TD Rose Conway-Walsh told delegates gathered in Athlone, Co Westmeath.
“As far as the Irish government is concerned, the North falls under the remit of Foreign Affairs. What an insult to citizens in the North,” said Ms Conway-Walsh, a member of the Oireachtas committee on implementation of the Belfast Agreement.
Promising the immediate beginning of “structured and detailed planning towards Irish unity” if it wins office, she said this would be “underpinned by engagement with citizens across the country”.
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A Citizens’ Assembly on Irish unity would be established to debate the shape of a united Ireland and, though government-led, it would “provide space for people to discuss their hopes and aspirations” but also concerns and worries regarding unity.
The remarks this week by former Fine Gael taoiseach Leo Varadkar calling on all parties running in the next Dáil general election to make unity an objective, not just an aspiration was welcomed by a number of ardfheis speakers.
Welcoming his words, Ms Conway-Walsh said no Irish government had pushed for unity.
“No taoiseach has ever asked a British prime minister to relinquish control of the North. No Irish government has honoured its constitutional commitment to pursue reunification,” she said.
Noting Mr Varadkar’s words, Sinn Féin’s national chairman Declan Kearney said: “Words must translate into actions. Let’s see action now. Irish reunification and a new constitutional settlement is a legitimate and a reasonable democratic objective.”
He said a date should be set for a referendum “before the end of this decade”.
Former Lord Mayor of Dublin, Mícheál MacDonncha questioned the contribution by Mr Varadkar, who also said that a New Ireland Forum involving political parties and non-political groups from all parts of the island should be set up.
“You’ll not be surprised that I’m not going to join a litany of praise for him. I will say fair play to him, but isn’t it an awful pity he didn’t say it and do something about it when he was taoiseach,” he said.
His successor in office, Taoiseach Simon Harris had made clear that unification for him is not a priority, Mr MacDonncha said, but for Sinn Féin unity is not just a priority, but “an imperative”.
Earlier, party leader Mary Lou McDonald told reporters Sinn Féin would run its largest ever number of candidates in the forthcoming general election and will be looking to win at least one seat in each of the 43 constituencies.
Ms McDonald said that the party had not yet determined its final slate of candidates but would be running a larger number than ever before.
“We will be running more candidates than in 2020 because I didn’t hear the end of that after that election. We’re running to win in every constituency, and in some constituencies we will be contesting to win more than one seat,” she said.
Ms McDonald said she would not be presumptuous or arrogant about it and added the party would have to go out and make the case to the Irish people that it was time for a change of government, after 14 years of Fine Gael being in power.
Speaking to reporters at her party’s ardfheis in Athlone, Ms McDonald said that Sinn Féin would offer choices to the electorate in housing, childcare, health and the cost of living.
Asked if there were any parties she would rule out as possible coalition partners, Ms McDonald said the party’s preferred outcome was for a government that did not include either Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael. However, she did not specifically exclude any party in her response.
Ms McDonald said it was no longer sustainable for any party to say the provision to hold a unity referendum contained in the Belfast Agreement would not be activated, despite the agreement being 26 years old.
She said the UK Labour Party, when last in government, had championed the agreement and had also helped build the peace process.
“We are now at a point where we take it to the next step ... The government in London, and by the way, the government in Dublin, can’t continuously delay and dither. There’s a provision for referendums. The referendums will happen, and the challenge now for both governments is to prepare for that,” Ms McDonald said.
Asked if her party acknowledged mistakes in its approach to the local and European elections in June, Ms McDonald accepted the elections had not been good for the party.
“We had a review after that election. I thought I was really clear, actually, in acknowledging where we need to do better,” she said.
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