Sinn Féin will bring Irish Unity Bill back in the Autumn says Hazzard
Sinn Féin MP Chris Hazzard said last week’s vote by the Irish government to block Sinn Féin’s Planning for Constitutional Change Bill is a disappointment but that the conversation is not going away.
The legislation, introduced in the Dáil by Mary Lou McDonald, sought to compel the Taoiseach to begin the planning and preparation for constitutional change and Irish reunification.
Chris Hazzard MP said: “It’s astonishing that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael voted down legislation that would have directed the Irish government to begin serious, structured planning for a united Ireland.
“They voted against a Government Green Paper, an All-Ireland Citizens’ Assembly, and giving the people of this island a real say in their own future.
“They cannot vote down the future.
“The question is not if there will be unity referendums, it is when. The bigger question is whether we will be prepared. For some reason, the Irish government chose not to prepare. That is not leadership. That is a failure of responsibility.
“Partition failed the people of Ireland. We can no longer afford it in our public services, in our economy, in the daily lives of workers and families in County Down and right across this island.
“Sinn Féin will be back in the Autumn with further legislation. This conversation isn’t going away. The momentum for Irish unity is growing, and we will keep building it.”
