Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Neale Richmond has said advocates of Irish unification must do more than sloganise and wave flags if they are to build support among moderate unionists in Northern Ireland.

Richmond, who is Church of Ireland, drew on his own experiences of sectarian abuse. He told the Dáil of being called “Orange scum” and “West Brit” as a youth, and “Lundys” and “Fenian scum” while playing rugby in Belfast.

He linked such attitudes to the treatment of former Fine Gael presidential candidate Heather Humphreys, who faced sustained questioning over her husband’s Orange Order membership during her campaign. Richmond said the hostility ignored the reality that most Protestant men in border areas had been Orangemen before the Troubles, and noted that the episode was weaponised by unionists to argue the Republic is an unwelcoming place.

Richmond, author of a 2021 report entitled “Towards a New Ireland,” said the conversation on unity has progressed to the point where a border poll is a realistic prospect. However, he cautioned that winning a vote requires appealing to the moderate centre of Northern Ireland from a unionist background while also addressing the concerns of nationalists who have doubts.

He argued that attacking Protestant identity is counterproductive, and that even those who will never accept unification must be guaranteed a respected place in any new state. Unification, he said, requires more than slogans and flag waving; it demands genuine, respectful engagement.