Former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has called for the next Irish government to make a united Ireland a “political objective.” Speaking at an Ireland’s Future event in Belfast, Varadkar said it was time to prepare for a border poll, even suggesting setting aside funding to pay for the change. However, he declined to commit to a specific timeframe. Varadkar defended his time in office and added that preparation should include setting aside money for a “transition period.”
at First Minister Michelle O’Neill shared a similar commitment at the event, insisting that the long-planned Casement Park scheme will go ahead while she is in office. Northern Ireland is set to host five games in the soccer European Championships, yet the drug-infested site remains undeveloped and work on the project has yet to begin. Sinn Féin’s O’Neill said she hopes the stadium will be completed in time for the Euro 2028 soccer tournament, but insists work will continue to bring the project to fruition beyond that date if necessary.
Despite the ongoing Brexit crisis and power-sharing issues at Stormont, Varadkar said he believed that a united Ireland would be a success story and called for active campaigning for unification, rather than it being just a political aspiration. Other high-profile speakers at the event included Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald, and representatives from the SDLP, Alliance Party, Green Party, and the Irish Labour Party. The discussion also featured former Loyalist Party member David Adams and DUP founder Wallace Thompson to provide “Protestant Perspectives.” The event was hosted by Ireland’s Future, an organisation that is not affiliated with any political party but promotes reunification
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