I join with those who have offered condolences to former Senator Bonner's family and to our colleague, Senator Craughwell, on his sad loss over the course of the past number of weeks.

During the summer season, most people expect that political debate goes to bed but in relation to issues of our Constitution and the future on this island, the debate was very much alive over the latter days of the summer, should that be the foolish remarks of the new Prime Minister, Mr. Burnham, in dismissing the prospect of a unity referendum, or the remarks of the American President when he was visiting here. His remarks are not anything to build any solid foundation on but nonetheless those remarks, and his preference and offered support for reunification in Ireland, had the effect of elevating that debate and discussion onto an international level. It very much reflects the bipartisan support there always has been in the United States, not just for the peace process in Ireland but for constitutional change in Ireland.

Following that, the development between my own party, the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru also had the effect of elevating that debate in Britain where it very much needs to be heard because it is not just a question of our constitutional future. There is a real question now over the constitutional future of Britain itself, which has been advanced. We have made it very clear. Unfortunately, there was an attempt to misrepresent this. We are all on different paths regarding this. The future of constitutional change in Ireland is not contingent on anything happening in Scotland or Wales or vice versa. The arrangement we have with them is a long-standing one. Other parties in this State had it in previous times gone by. It also reflects the nature that in the event of constitutional change, both in Ireland and Britain, we need to maintain those relationships right across these islands and have productive working relationships together. The attempt by the Taoiseach to misrepresent that was unfortunate but given where he is in this space, I get that he tends to react in a hostile way to anyone else discussing the issue of unity.

On a more negative note, we also had the development of the attempt to bring us back into the past in the North where the leadership of the Orange Order and leaders of political unionism want to revisit the Drumcree issue of a march along the Garvaghy Road, which is something that has been settled for almost 30 years. It is something that has caused real concern and trauma for those who lived through that experience back in the nineties when significant loss of life was attached to the attempts to force a parade down the Garvaghy Road. I hope that wise heads will prevail in the Parades Commission and that we do not have a decision to try to force a parade along the Garvaghy Road. It would be hugely detrimental to all that we have achieved over the past number of years. The Taoiseach has an invitation to meet with the residents of the Garvaghy Road. I hope that he takes that up and recognises there is a contribution to made here. I ask that the Leader ensures that senior Government Ministers remain engaged on this process and issue because it has a potential for setting us back some way in the North.