Growing momentum for Irish Unity sparks motion at Leitrim County Council

“Growing momentum and discussion” surrounding constitutional change enticed Cllr Róisín Kenny to propose a motion on achieving Irish Unity at a meeting of Leitrim County Council.

Cllr Kenny asked that the Council write to the Office of An Taoiseach and request that the Government plan and prepare for Irish unity through three actions.

These are: to establish an all-island Citizens’ Assembly and a Joint Oireachtas Committee on Irish Unity; to produce and publish a plan towards Irish unity in conjunction with civic society and key stakeholders, including local government; and to work to secure a date for a referendum on unity as provided for in the Good Friday Agreement.

Separately, just two days later on November 5, a Sinn Féin motion was passed in Dáil Éireann calling on the Government to begin planning for Irish unity.

“We are just over two years away from marking the 30th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, a moment to reflect not only on how far we’ve come, but on where we are going,” said Cllr Kenny. She noted that the reunification of Ireland is an objective of Bunreacht na hÉireann and that there are growing discussions surrounding this.

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“Reuniting the peoples of this island offers an unparalleled opportunity to unlock Ireland’s full potential and to foster prosperity for everyone,” she added.

Cllr Kenny cited joint research produced by Ulster University and Dublin City University, which found that the costs associated with unity have tended to be exaggerated and that the benefits of an all-Ireland economy are largely ignored, undermining arguments from those who believe a united Ireland would be too costly.

“Irish Unity is an economic opportunity that we need to grasp. That means doing the preparation work now. No party owns this process. Not Sinn Féin. Not the two governments. But all of us have obligations, responsibilities, and all of us must lead,” she continued.

She concluded that engaging political parties, civic society, unions, industry, and wider society is crucial to the process.

Cllr Kenny’s motion received widespread support.

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