Tánaiste Simon Harris has announced that Fine Gael will develop a blueprint for a unified island, to be presented at the party’s Ard Fheis in November. The work will be led by the Fine Gael Northern Ireland Engagement Group and facilitated by academic Professor Deirdre Heenan.

Harris made the announcement during a speech at University College Dublin on Sunday, marking the centenary of former taoiseach Garret FitzGerald’s birth. He said all political parties have a duty to contribute positively to preparations for unity.

He called for engagement on the island’s future ahead of the 30th anniversary of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which will fall during his next term as taoiseach. He argued that constitutional change must be prepared for with careful planning and inclusivity, rejecting suggestions that now is not the right time.

The blueprint will examine practical implications of unity, including fiscal costs, public services, and economic opportunities such as all-island infrastructure, labour mobility, and EU market access. Harris stressed that reconciliation and respect must guide the conversation.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald responded by challenging Harris to support legislation her party intends to bring before the Dáil summer recess. The proposed bill would require the government to produce a green paper on reunification, establish an all-Ireland citizens’ assembly, and assign oversight to the Oireachtas.

McDonald said she welcomed the Tánaiste’s acknowledgement of the need for preparation, but insisted he must convince Taoiseach Micheál Martin to adopt the same position. She said Harris needs to demonstrate his seriousness by backing Sinn Féin’s legislative push.