Fiscal Policy
Dail Éireann — 2026-04-21
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Simon Harris (FG), Wicklow

I welcome this rare moment of unity. It is really good. We all have different political traditions that we can debate and that is fine, but Deputy Conway-Walsh would like to see a united Ireland in her lifetime and I would like to see a united Ireland in my lifetime. I agree that the shared island unit is doing good work - really good work. I notice that across the community, as I am sure Deputy Conway-Walsh does. Regarding Deputy Michael Murphy's question and the constructive contributions of Deputies Doherty, Conway-Walsh, Currie, Connolly, Shay Brennan and Cooney, the economics of this are important. I will send the remarks I made at the launch of the ESRI report to Deputy Conway-Walsh. Looking at this from a financial and economic point of view will ultimately be an important part of any debate whenever it arises and we have a responsibility to be prepared to engage on it. I often grapple in my own head with what the best way of creating that space is. Perhaps the Good Friday Agreement committee would be a good opportunity for us to engage on that report. I take the point that it is not all about the ESRI but there is ESRI-funded work with which all of us might want to familiarise ourselves. I am very happy to have an engagement with the appropriate committee on this matter.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-04-21/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-21T01:01:08+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-04-21