Mary Lou McDonald: “time [was] of the essence”

The question is not whether we can afford reunification. It is whether we can afford partition.

There has been nothing rushed, hasty or pre-emptive about this process. Over the last three decades, we had big challenges, disagreements, political confrontations, we have had high and lows - of that there is no doubt. However, the peace…

The future of Ireland is for the people of this island to decide, and for the people of this island alone.

We have been making this point for a very, very long time that it is important that we are prepared, that the work is done now, and that it is at this stage irresponsible for anybody in political leadership to bury their head in the sand…