Euro poll shows jump in support for Irish Unity

A shock poll has shown that two in three voters in the north of Ireland now support Irish unity within the EU.

It is the highest level of support for reunification in a Six County poll on record, and is also the first time a poll has shown the demand for reunification to be higher in the north than the south.

The Amárach Research poll for the European Movement Ireland found 67% in the north and 62% in the south now support a United Ireland within the EU.

Opposition in the North to reunification within the EU was also at a record low of 27%, although still higher than in the 26 Counties, where it measured just 16%.

The data was collected between March 26-28 and has a margin of error of 2.5%.

Speaking in Dublin, Sinn Féin Senator Murphy said the poll “confirms what we are hearing more and more from communities across the north – people want change, and they want a future back in the European Union”.

He added: “These figures reflect a growing understanding that the cost of Brexit – economically, politically, and socially – has been detrimental for the north of Ireland.”

He said the poll pointed to the opportunities offered by reunification.

“The north of Ireland has been held back for too long by partition. But there is another way – one that sees the reunification of our island, the restoration of our full place in the EU, and the unleashing of our untapped potential as part of an all-Ireland economy.

“A new Ireland is not just possible – it is already being imagined and increasingly supported by the people. The Irish government must now take up its responsibilities under the Good Friday Agreement, step forward, and begin the necessary planning.

“That means convening a Citizens’ Assembly and preparing for constitutional change in a way that is inclusive, respectful and forward-looking.

“This is a time of opportunity. Let us rise to meet it – together, democratically, and with the shared ambition of building a new Ireland that is united, prosperous and within the EU.”

Direct Rule British Minister Fleur Anderson recently suggested that such an opinion poll could be enough to trigger a referendum on unity, honouring a key element of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement However, there are still no signs of of moves recognising the national rights of those living under British rule

Twelve years since a constitutional convention in Dublin voted overwhelmingly in favour, and nine years since Fine Gael said it would hold a referendum to make the necessary changes to the constitution, voting rights in Presidential elections are still being denied to those living north of the border.

Last month, Aontú introduced a bill to allow Irish citizens living in the Six Counties to vote in Irish presidential elections.

That was followed by a vote in the Stormont Assembly to support a motion calling for Irish Presidential voting rights for Irish citizens living in the north.

A majority of MLAs backed Sinn Féin’s motion calling for all Irish citizens throughout the island to be entitled to vote in Irish presidential elections.

The motion, which required a simple majority, was carried by 46 to 25, with support coming from Sinn Féin and SDLP representatives, alongside 13 Alliance MLAs and People Before Profit’s Gerry Carroll. It was opposed by the DUP, who argued any change to the law could not be implemented before the election due in 2032.

Sinn Féin deputy leader and the North’s First Minister, Michelle O’Neill, has now written to Taoiseach Micheál Martin urging him to take action.

“It is a glaring anomaly that an Irish citizen living in the north can stand for election as President of Ireland, can be elected as President of Ireland but cannot vote to elect the President of Ireland,” said Ms O’Neill.

“The Assembly decisively voted in support of the right of citizens in the north to vote for the President of Ireland.

“The office of the President of Ireland is held in the highest regard and respect in Ireland, among the Irish diaspora and across the world. That regard and respect has a particular significance and immediacy for Irish citizens in the north who have historically been denied participation in the life of their own nation by the historic and undemocratic injustice of partition.”

She also welcomed the comments by Tánaiste and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris, after he indicated he was ‘supportive’ of the move.

Pearse Doherty, the Sinn Féin Finance Minister in the 26 Counties, said it is now “incumbent” on the Dublin government to act and give a clear timeline on when they will hold a referendum to make the necessary changes to the constitution, and noted there was no mention of extending voting rights in the most recent Programme for Government.

“That impasse cannot be allowed to continue. We should not be facing into a presidential election later this year where citizens in the North are again excluded. This must be the last time it ever happens.

“The government has a constitutional duty to uphold the citizenship rights of everybody born on the island of Ireland. This is about equality, recognition and democratic participation.

“So the time for excuses is over. The government must give a timeline and set a date for the referendum, and finally act on the 12-year-old commitment to extend voting rights in presidential elections to citizens in the North.”

Urgent Appeal