Taoiseach to set up initiative on constitutional future of the island
22 minutes ago
Gabija Gataveckaite
Dublin correspondent, BBC News NI
The Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Micheál Martin is to set up a new "initiative" on the constitutional future of the island of Ireland.
It comes as the party's coalition partner, Fine Gael, is to unveil its plans for a "blueprint" on Irish unity at its ard fheis (annual party conference) this weekend in Cork.
He outlined his plans in a private meeting with his parliamentary party, Fianna Fáil, in Dublin on Tuesday.
The Taoiseach's Futures Study Initiative will "seek to provide an objective, independent knowledge base which can be used to inform specific proposals", according to a policy document produced by Martin in the meeting.
Each political party and activist group will be invited to make submissions.
The initiative will also give unionists and loyalists, as well as nationalists, an opportunity to have their say.
"In this it would provide a good faith opportunity for those outside the nationalist tradition to participate.
"Critically, it would challenge all traditions to move from making general assertions about the future to engaging with hard evidence," the policy paper, seen by BBC News NI, says.
The initiative will look at:
- A single "unitary republic" which will be governed by institutions primarily based in Dublin which would be fully in place within five years of a referendum on a United Ireland, without a devolved government in Northern Ireland
- A United Ireland, or an "all-island state", with a devolved government in Northern Ireland similar to the one in place now
- A continuation of the current arrangements in the Good Friday Agreement without constitutional change
The initiative will not recommend a single proposal but instead explore the specific impacts and requirements of three core scenarios for the constitutional future of the island.
It will then produce a report to the Irish government which will be published.
The group will explore six main areas which are "critical" to the future of the island: constitutional and legal change, economy, health, education, security, symbols and culture.
The initiative will be led by a chairperson and at least five people, with their work overseen by experts in the fields in which they explore.
A "dedicated secretariat" should be established in the Department of the Taoiseach for the process, according to the policy paper, which should include a mix of public service expertise and outside specialists.
The policy paper adds that "nothing" in the initiative "interferes with or seeks to replace current commitments which we have towards active cooperation North/South and Ireland/UK under the Good Friday Agreement."
The Fianna Fáil parliamentary party is to hold a dedicated meeting on the issue in the coming weeks.
