鈥淛ust saying it is an aspiration isn鈥檛 enough any more. I have proposed
the establishment of a forum for parties interested in talking about
unity. I hope at some point in the term of this government, that
decision will be taken,鈥 he said.
A united Ireland should not be 鈥渁nnexation of six more counties鈥, the
former Fine Gael leader said, but a new state 鈥渢hat can be better for
all of us鈥.
Former Sinn Fein president and West Belfast MP Gerry Adams was among
those in the audience for the event.
Mr Varadkar, who stood down as Taoiseach in April last year, says he now
has 鈥渁 lot of personal and intellectual freedom to say what I think鈥,
and said he believes he will see a united Ireland in his lifetime 鈥 but
warned it is not inevitable.
He stressed that a united Ireland 鈥渉as to be a new Ireland that is
better for everyone – that includes a bill of rights, guarantees civil
protections and liberties.
鈥淯nification, in my view, is not the annexation of six more counties by
the Republic of Ireland. It鈥檚 a new state and one that can be better for
all of us, an opportunity that only comes around every 100 years, which
is to design your state and design your constitution.鈥
In terms of what the current Dublin administration is doing, Mr Varadkar
described the Shared Island Unit, which was set up when he was
Taoiseach, as positive, but he said he would like to see the current
government lead a forum ahead of unity.
He said there was the New Ireland Forum in the 1980s, and the Forum for
Peace and Reconciliation in the 1990s.
鈥淚 think there is a strong case now for us to convene the parties that
are interested in talking about this, unions, business groups, civil
society in a forum to have that discussion, but I don鈥檛 see how that can
happen if that isn鈥檛 led by the Irish Government, and I hope at some
point during the course of this five-year government, a decision will be
taken to do that,鈥 he said.
Asked how he felt potentially violent opposition to a united Ireland
could be handled, Mr Varadkar suggested he felt 鈥渙nly a very small
minority may turn to violence鈥.
鈥淚 know there are people south of the border who, when I talk to them
about reunification, express to me concerns that there might be a very
small minority within unionism who may turn to violence,鈥 he said.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think we should dismiss that as a possibility. I don鈥檛 think it
will happen, to be honest.
鈥淚n two referendums, both north and south, people would be very clearly
giving their preference as to what should happen, it would be quite a
different situation to when partition happened 100 years ago and it
wasn鈥檛 voted for.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think that would arise but I think it鈥檚 a reasonable question.鈥
Interviewed a day earlier by the BBC, Mr Varadkar said that Irish unity
could become 鈥渃entre stage鈥 if far-right leader Nigel Farage was elected
as British prime minister.
He described British politics as 鈥渧ery volatile鈥 and said it is possible
Mr Farage, leader of 鈥楻eform UK鈥, will be prime minister in four years
Mr Varadkar said that would 鈥渃hange the pictures in terms of attitudes
towards independence in Scotland鈥.
鈥淚 think it would change the views of some people in the middle ground
in Northern Ireland (towards Irish unity),鈥 he said.
鈥淚t isn鈥檛 just because a right-wing nationalist government in London
would want to bring the UK and Northern Ireland away from Europe. It is
other [right-wing ideologies] as well.鈥
Mr Varadkar said he believes planning for a united Ireland should be
happening, but that a date should not be fixed as the numbers to win are
not in place.
He added: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think a united Ireland is inevitable, I think it鈥檚
something that we have to work towards.
鈥淏ut I think there are a lot of factors that would suggest that we鈥檙e on
that trajectory.
鈥淟ook at the trajectory, and that is clear. We see it in elections. We
see it in opinion polls. We see it in demographics.鈥
鈥淒emographic factors, polling, even the most recent numbers showing that
a very clear majority of younger people in Northern Ireland want there
to be a new united Ireland.鈥
鈥淚 think that will carry true, and that鈥檚 why I think it鈥檚 something
that we should plan for.鈥
But he said Irish unity will not happen 鈥渂y osmosis or by accident鈥.
鈥淚 think (it) has to be worked towards. I think those of us who believe
in it have a duty to make the case for it,鈥 he added.