Sinn Fein calls for junior minister for Irish unity
SINN Fein has said it will push for a ‘junior minister for Irish unity’ if it forms part of the next government in Dublin.
The new minister would be part of a unit in the Department of the Taoiseach, the Sunday Times reported.
“We’re in the end game. Preparation (for unity) will be part of our programme for government,” Sinn Fein TD Matt Carthy told the newspaper.
Mr Carthy (42) is a member of the party’s negotiating team attempting to translate the party’s success in the recent Irish general election into government office.
He added: “We will have a key unit in the Department of the Taoiseach, and maybe a sub-committee, as well as an Oireachtas committee and a citizens’ assembly.”
The Sinn Fein ‘unity minister unit’ push comes as the Republic’s main political parties continue their efforts to form a coalition government in Dublin.
Fianna Fail, Sinn Fein and Fine Gael finished in an almost dead heat in the recent general election, all far short of being able to form a government alone.
Both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael have ruled out forming a government with Sinn Fein.
Sinn Fein’s success in taking a quarter of the votes cast in the recent general election in the Republic has given fresh impetus to its campaign for a united Ireland.
At present, Northern Ireland could only leave the UK following a referendum in which a majority of residents chose to do so.
Calling a border poll is the prerogative of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whose decision would be based on the likelihood of a majority wishing to leave.
The most recent major opinion survey on the issue — published in the Belfast Telegraph last week — found that just 29% of people surveyed backed the idea.
And on Friday, the Northern Ireland Office told Belfast City Council — whose Lord Mayor is Sinn Fein’s Deirdre Hargey — that the criterion for holding a border poll in Northern Ireland had not been met.
“It remains the Secretary of State’s view that a majority of the people of Northern Ireland continue to support Northern Ireland’s place in the United Kingdom and that this is unlikely to change for at least the foreseeable future,” the NIO said.
“The circumstances set out in the Belfast Agreement that require the Secretary of State to hold a referendum on Irish unification are therefore not satisfied.”
While Sinn Fein places the national question at the top of its political agenda, other parties in the Dail have different priorities.
Speaking on RTE’s The Week in Politics yesterday, Fine Gael TD Helen McEntee said there should be no link between an army council and a political party, while Fianna Fail’s Mary Butler also told the programme she has concerns about the governance of Sinn Fein.
The Fianna Fail and Fine Gael representatives were speaking after Garda Commissioner Drew Harris referred to the Provisional IRA army council’s continuing influence on Sinn Fein.
People before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett told the Sunday Times: “What we told them (Sinn Fein) was we’re very much in favour of unity.
“But you can’t ask people in the North to step back from the NHS and 30 hours of free childcare a week.
“If it (unity) is to be taken seriously, there must be full separation of church and state here.
“All these things would be up for discussion in a programme for government,” he said.
Talks between the Dublin parties have been ongoing over the last two weeks as they try to agree a coalition deal.
Fianna Fail has 38 TDs, a total which has reduced to 37 following the re-election of Sean O Fearghail as speaker.
Sinn Fein also has 37 TDs while Fine Gael has 35 — significantly short of the 80 required to form a government.