I welcome the remarks of the Taoiseach in Cleveland about a united Ireland. Nothing in life or politics is inevitable. Uniting the people of this island and ending partition is one of the major challenges facing us at the beginning of the 21st century. Aontaímid, sin é mo bharúil, agus creidim sin go han-láidir. Tá ceart ag muintir an oileáin seo a bheith saor agus a bheith le chéile ach ni tharlóidh sin gan obair, gan phleanáil agus gan an Rialtas a bheith ag obair le daoine eile.

We need a plan. The Taoiseach's statement in Cleveland was welcome. A united Ireland will only happen when those of us who want it persuade those who want to maintain the union that their future and the future of their children is best served in the new dispensation. Partition is unjust, inefficient, is not working and is costly. We must demonstrate in practical ways why working together as partners and living together as equals is better.

Yesterday, the British Prime Minister and the Scottish First Minister, Alex Salmond, agreed a date for a referendum on Scottish independence. The union is now a live debating issue and the people of Scotland will have their say in 2014. The Good Friday Agreement provides for a similar poll, a Border poll, and I invite the Taoiseach to begin dialogue, with those who want a united Ireland and those who do not, about the future. I ask the Taoiseach to come back to the Dáil within the next short while with an outline of how he envisages securing the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement on the Border poll.

The question I was asked in Cleveland was whether I believed there would be a united Ireland by 2016. I said I did not believe there would be a united Ireland by 2016 and gave reasons for that. On 12 October, part of the Good Friday Agreement was being implemented and demonstrated here by virtue of the work of the Ceann Comhairle and the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, where the North-South Parliamentary Forum met for its first session. I also pointed out that in terms of the development of the economy of the island of Ireland, great co-operation takes place within North-South Ministerial Councils, which I chair, in areas such as health, education, transport, commerce, business and trade. The next meeting is in November. These are important elements and I referred to the effect they have on developing the economies North and South. I referred to the work under way by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the politicians in Northern Ireland in respect of the possibility of reducing the corporate tax rate to the level that applies here, 12.5%. I also referred to the fact that we have made arrangements for personnel from Northern Ireland to participate in the permanent representation in Brussels, so that they are fully informed and up to date on logistics for the Presidency, which will have an impact in respect of the multi-financial framework, possibly to be decided before the end of the year, and Common Agricultural Policy reform, which will fall within the Irish Presidency. From that point of view, it has implications for the agri-sector in Northern Ireland. That is the question I was asked and the answer I gave.

It is appropriate to continue our dialogue and work to demonstrate to people that the impact of the Good Friday Agreement can have a beneficial effect on the economies, North and South. Therefore, as a consequence, it has an effect on employment levels and job opportunities, which are the most important factor in our consideration. I am well aware of inclusion, in regard to the reference Deputy Adams made to Border polls, but the priority is to rectify our public finances, see that our colleagues in Europe implement the decisions made there, which will have a beneficial impact in this country, and to continue to work towards those so that we can emerge from our bailout programme and decide in a more individual way where our future lies.

Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle, agus ag an Taoiseach.

I read the Taoiseach's remarks which he has repeated here today. It is obvious why I would welcome them. They were a good outline of what has been achieved and of what is continuing.

I also commend the Ceann Comhairle and the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly on the North-South Inter-Parliamentary Association meeting. This is a good and quiet example of working for mutual benefit. The North-South Ministerial Council and all the sectoral elements are working together to erase at least some of the worst aspects of the negative effects of partition.

I am consciously not asking the Taoiseach simply to give a response here today. I am asking him to consider that we have to go further than this. The issue is topical because of what is happening in Scotland but it is also one of the huge challenges facing us. No Irish Government has brought forward a plan. I spent yesterday at Stormont. The atmosphere in the North is totally different from what it used to be when I was growing up there. There is considerable potential.

Would the Taoiseach go away and consider the Government's attitude to a Border poll, a Green Paper or to opening up a dialogue? We have ideas on many of these issues. They are part of an international agreement, the Good Friday Agreement, aspects of which have yet to be implemented.

I invite the Taoiseach to prepare a strategy in co-operation with the rest of us and to commit the Government to taking the lead on this issue.

I thank Deputy Adams for his comments. When I was speaking to the First Minister of Scotland, Mr. Alex Salmond MSP, at the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly some time ago, he outlined the opportunity that might exist for people in Scotland to cast their votes on independence. That opportunity is to be given. The agreement to do so was signed yesterday. One question will be asked of the electorate. There are various views as to what the Scottish people wish to do. I do not want to go that far now.

I was struck by the presentation made here some time ago by the survivors of Kingsmill. I want to meet the group Ms Arlene Foster MLA wishes to bring here from Fermanagh, and with the Ballymurphy people Deputy McDonald spoke of last week. Other groups have requested meetings. There is a great well of emotion which needs to be released from ordinary people whose loved ones lost their lives on either side of this conflict. It is not the time to have a poll in a Border situation when such a well of emotion needs to be released so that a new understanding about the future is brought about.

This is not the time for a Green Paper. I take the Deputy's point and I am well aware of what the Good Friday Agreement says. There is, however, a time and place for everything. We need to get our economy in order here. We need to see the excitement and encouragement that people will experience when the economy is growing and thriving and jobs are being created with direct beneficial impact on the Border. I hope the same can apply to the Border areas in the Six Counties and beyond.

The Constitutional Convention may have an opportunity to reflect on this. I sent invitations to all political parties. One of those parties has declined to send a representative to the convention when it is set up. That forum will have an opportunity to reflect on the issues raised by the Deputy, such as Green Papers, Border polls and so on.

A priority of the Government is to deal with our economy and the issues that arise from that. With regard to Northern Ireland issues, I would like to provide an opportunity for those who have never had the chance to speak their minds about what happened within their family units on either side of the conflict, with devastating and tragic results. We owe them that, at least.