My fellow columnist Alex Kane has made the argument that “the vast majority of people, north and south, are nowhere close to being prepared for a serious, thought-through debate or campaign” on Irish unification.

The blame for that state of affairs lies squarely with the Irish government and specifically Micheál Martin.

His partner in government, Simon Harris, has no interest whatsoever in reunification. Indeed, no-one has been able to discern any aim or ideology for him being in politics except his own ambition.

Harris seems delighted to have moved to finance and to off-loaded foreign affairs and trade to someone who has never uttered a syllable on the north, except to complain about the number of asylum seekers coming south.

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I suspect that not one unionist in a hundred could name her, and not many more nationalists either.

On the other hand, Micheál Martin, who has been around a long time in government, has spoken about the north up........

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