I thank Deputy Farrell for allowing me some of her time. I think Michael Collins would be pleased with the Tánaiste today. I thank him for allowing us Government time to discuss such an important issue. I also acknowledge the work Deputy Currie has consistently done in this space.

Sentiment score: 0.33

I would need much longer than three minutes to discuss the fiscal implications of a united Ireland, such is the depth and breadth of the work already done. I commend all of those who have done it. Leaving all politics aside, the economic benefits of reunification present unprecedented opportunities for sustainable growth. As we prepare for the constitutional future of this island, one of the key priorities must be creating an all-island competitive and conducive environment for foreign direct investment and indigenous businesses. The future prosperity of Ireland is dependent on Government policies which address and invest in the key drivers of FDI; human capital, infrastructure, political stability, tax certainty, digitisation and decarbonisation. The very open nature of the Irish economy and over-reliance on FDI and a small number of large US firms exposes an economic vulnerability that covers an underlying deficit of €13 billion. With an all-island approach, we can tackle that properly. This vulnerability should be tackled by taking an all-island approach to investing in different levels of education and mitigating the socioeconomic barriers to education. A culture of lifelong learning must be encouraged by removing financial barriers and investing in childcare and public services across the island. Fulfilling investment commitments, as outlined in the national development plan and ensuring timely delivery of infrastructure such as all-island transport, telecommunications, utilities, housing and energy, are fundamental to the whole island’s prosperity in the future. An all-island development agency is critical to this prosperity. Competing for investment from multinational companies, based on five interlinked pillars of growth, transformational regions, sustainability and impact as promoted by the IDA is necessary to compete on a global stage. One of the key benefits of reunification would be the access to human capital across the island, with both jurisdictions combined. We spoke about this with IBEC this morning. I commend IBEC and the ESRI on the work they have done on the macroeconomic model. That is hugely important and can solve that issue. I ask the Tánaiste to focus in the interim on what needs to be done. I ask the Government, through the shared-island unit, to provide funding for student places for students from the jurisdiction here. I refer to the legislation. We need to encourage student mobility across the island. I ask the shared island unit to intervene to provide funding for students from here going to Queen's University and Ulster University. Regarding the data, the NI Executive should work with the ONS, HMRC and the NISRA to improve the data on tax receipts in the North. This would help to provide more reliable estimates and forecasting. It is about us having the data to be able to do the accurate forecasting we need to do.

Sentiment score: 0.24