Mary Lou McDonald
speaker
367 appearances
3 recordings
3 series
first heard May 2026
last heard 7 Jul
Mary Lou McDonald’s voice in public audio — every appearance, attributed to the second.
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recordings per month · last 12 monthsRecordings per month over the last 12 months — 3 in all, peaking in Jul 2026 with 2.
Appearances
So the bill itself is actually very straightforward, Matt, and it builds on work that has already been done here in the Oireachtas area.
And just to let your listeners know, about two years ago now, the Joint Committee on the Good Friday Agreement did a piece of work about reunification, all of the processes, the potential of it.
And they made a series of recommendations, including the need for a government green paper, a green paper being like a high level of all of department analysis
and all of agency analysis of where things are at, the milestones, the challenges, the questions that arise in respect of the transition from partition to unity.
So there was a joint recommendation signed up to by all parties that this green paper was needed now.
And on the back of that green paper that citizens assemblies would be convened to ensure that
all sectors of our society, communities of our society, indeed all political persuasions became part and parcel of this process now of preparation.
So our legislation reiterates those two core
pieces of work that need to get done.
And the legislation, if passed, would mean that government would bring forward this Green Paper within 18 months.
And then once the Green Paper was published, that they would go about the business of convening the Citizens Assembly.
And the overriding rationale behind all of this, Matt, is that we are now approaching the 30th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
As your listeners will know, referendums on the issue of the border, on the issue of reunification, are the beating heart of that agreement.
There will be referendums.
It's only a question of when.
And the bigger question for us is, will we be equipped to have an informed process, an informed debate,
Will we be equipped to have an orderly process?
Because what I wish to see is planning for our future together for a new deal for Ireland in a way that is democratic and collaborative, fully informed, fully peaceful, of course.
And for that to happen, we have to be prepared.
And I would be concerned, and I know these concerns are shared by others across politics here and outside of politics,
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