Sinn Fein Foyleside councillor Conor Heaney
Cllr. Heaney was speaking ahead of proposing a motion at this week’s full council meeting that would see the creation of a special working group on Irish unity.
Said Cllr Heaney: “Just about every major political party on this island, including the DUP, acknowledges that a referendum on Irish unity is coming.
“Therefore, we have a duty to prepare for that and to prepare for the reunification of our island in the event that such a vote was passed, as I believe it would be.
“This council has done sterling work along with our neighbouring council in Donegal on building the North West city region but we must go much further in preparing for an end to partition.
“As a corporate body we must not repeat the mistakes of failing to prepare that the Brexit debacle has exposed in England.
“I will be proposing a motion that would see the council establish a working group on Irish unity to explore the structural and practical changes that might be needed in the event of Irish unity.
“It could also provide a forum for citizens to engage with the process while ensuring we maximise the opportunities that the ending of partition would bring for this region of Ireland.”
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