Cuirim fáilte roimh an díospóireacht seo inniu. Many myths exist about a united Ireland. I believe the biggest one is the alleged cost it will be to the Twenty-six Counties. Increasing amounts of research show that Irish unity would strengthen an all-island economy, creating more jobs, attracting investment and increasing tax revenue in addition to goodwill. Let us imagine every county on this island working towards the same economic future. At present, the economy of six counties of our country is controlled by the British Government. The people making decisions about investment and opportunity answer to voters in London, Manchester and Brighton, not Belfast, Derry or Newry. Why would Tory, Labour or Reform MPs prioritise communities to which they have no electoral responsibility? A united Ireland will change that and unlock an all-island economy that would work for everyone who lives on this island. Every Irish county would finally have a government whose only priority is Ireland. We only need look to German reunification as an example of how planned economic integration and investment within the EU can substantially improve economic conditions in the smaller jurisdiction involved in unification. While the economic output and living standards of the former East Germany have not caught up with the former West German development, by any standards they have improved dramatically. The role of the EU would be even more central in the case of Irish reunification. It should be to the fore of the Irish Presidency in this term. We must remember that the Good Friday Agreement is an EU-endorsed treaty. It has already been made clear that a reunited Ireland would see the North automatically return to EU membership, creating enormous opportunities for growth across the entire island. This simple but important guarantee means, in economic terms, the potential difficulty faced by Scotland when planning its independence, which had to negotiate membership of the EU in the context of independence, does not apply to the Six Counties. The subvention is also incessantly cited as a reason we in the South would not be able to "afford" the North. However, a recent study showed that the deficit transferred to the Six Counties is closer to £1.5 billion per year. Pensions have also been mentioned. I always wonder why this was even cited as an issue because it is exactly what already happens to pension recipients in Spain, France, Ireland and wherever a retired British worker resides. The truth is that even if the economic case was more challenging than it is, Irish unity would still be the right thing to do. It is said: tír gan teanga, is tír gan anam, but a country without a soul is only a vacuous place, and while partition was indeed a failure of our national soul, a failure of our spirit, and a failure to believe that all the people of this island deserve to share one future together, we can change that. A united Ireland is about more than balance sheets. It is about ending the injustice of partition, and finally allowing our country to become whole again. In doing the right thing, we also create a stronger economy and a better future for generations to come. Then it is not simply good economics, it is the fulfilment of our national potential. When I came across to the Chamber today I walked through the hall and I looked at the Proclamation again. I was reminded of the aspiration of our heroes in 1916 to the unashamed "happiness and prosperity of the whole nation". We have that within our grasp now and we have to move forward.

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