I again refer to the forthcoming elections in the North. I refer, in particular, to a comment made by the Leader in the House yesterday. While I acknowledge that he is a politician who has taken a genuine interest in the North for some time, I take issue with his characterisation of the election in the North as potentially one of orange versus green.

I did not say that.

The Leader did say it.

No, I said I hoped it would not become that. That is what I said.

Let me be clear. When Sinn Féin talks about the election in the North and when it calls for a Bill of Rights for all citizens, that is not a green card but a progressive politics card. When we call for equality proofing of budgets, that is something on which everyone should be able to agree. When we call for full equality for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, LGBT, community and women, we are engaging in progressive politics in the true sense. Of course, Sinn Féin has a vision of an all-island republic, but, to be fair, should every party in this Chamber not have such a vision? At the weekend we had the Towards a United Ireland conference at which the very well respected Unionist commentator, Mr. Alex Kane, asked where Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Labour Party were in terms of their vision of what a united Ireland would look like because we had not heard from them. They were not my words but those of a respected Unionist commentator. I appeal to everyone in this Chamber not to engage in stereotypes regarding green versus orange-----

The Senator should have heard his colleague yesterday.

Let us be clear - he certainly did not do that. I am proud to stand behind Sinn Féin's vision of progressive politics and a progressive new Ireland. I would welcome constructive engagement and debate on the issue, but to date, none of the conservative parties has had anything constructive to state in that regard. Where are their policy documents on a united Ireland? This project is well under way and in the aftermath of Brexit, it is more likely to move more quickly than some might think. Let us have a debate on it. Let us call in the appropriate Minister - the Taoiseach - to have a debate on where we all stand on a new Ireland and progressive politics in every county.