Fine Gael has proposed appointing a junior minister in the Irish government for “north south relations” as well as establishing a forum on Irish unity.
The plans come as part of the party’s long awaited “blueprint” on Irish unity, which was published at Fine Gael’s ard fheis (party conference) in Cork on Saturday.
It comes just days after Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Micheal Martin, the leader of Fianna Fáil, put forward his own proposals on Irish unity to his parliamentary party.
He proposed setting up a new “initiative” on the constitutional future of the island of Ireland.
The two parties are both in a coalition government together, supported by a number of Independent TDs (members of the Irish parliament) in Dublin.
Fine Gael party leader and Tánaiste (deputy prime minister) Simon Harris is due to become taoiseach in November 2027, under the coalition’s rotating taoiseach agreement.
His party has now proposed setting up an “independent, government-supported, inter-party and consultative forum” as part of preparations for reunification of the island.
It would be underpinned by law and operate for five years, with the option for a two year extension.
It would be led by an independent chair appointed by the Irish government and have its own secretariat as well as a budget, the party said.
The forum would publish research, reports and recommendations on Irish unity.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
