According to Simon Harris, a united Ireland during his lifetime is “entirely possible,” reports Breaking News.
The Taoiseach made the remarks in an interview with Sky News on Sunday, when he was questioned about immigration, Donald Trump, the US president-elect, and the possibility of another financial crisis.
Mr. Harris has previously referred to peace on the island of Ireland as “frosty” and stated that unification is not a priority for his position.
“It’s entirely possible to see it in my lifetime, but I’m not yet ready to put deadlines on these things because I think when you do, I think you drive people further away rather than closer together,” he said when asked if he thought he would see a united Ireland in his lifetime on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, reports Breaking News.
Leo Varadkar, a former Fine Gael leader and taoiseach, advised parties running for office in September to make unity a “objective” rather than merely a hope.
A two-stage referendum on Irish unification was also proposed by Mr. Varadkar. In the first stage, voters on both sides of the border would determine whether they supported constitutional reform “in principle,” and when the institutions were in place, there would be a final “confirmatory” vote.
“But I also want to be honest with the people of Ireland, and indeed with the people of the UK. My priority right now is working to fulfil and harness the potential of the Good Friday Agreement, which has seen too much of a stop and a start. We now have the institutions back up and running in Northern Ireland, we have an interlocutor in Downing Street in Prime Minister Starmer and, I would believe an interlocutor in Government Buildings in Dublin, all three wanting to work together to make sure that not just the peace part of the Good Friday Agreement – vital as it is – is secured, but also the prosperity agenda,” reports Breaking News.
An annual Irish-UK conference has been planned where ministers would agree on an agenda of shared interests, he said, adding that he and Keir Starmer have worked “intensively” to reset Anglo-Irish ties.
Additionally, Mr. Harris declared his commitment to maintaining the Department of the Taoiseach’s Shared Island Unit, reports Breaking News.
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