Varadkar has found his inner Shinner, says Mary Lou McDonald

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald has described comments made by the former taoiseach as him finding his “inner Shinner”, after Leo Varadkar said every party should make manifesto pledges that Irish reunification is an “objective, not an aspiration”.

The former Fine Gael leader called for politicians in the Republic to back the establishment of a forum to set out plans for Irish unity.

He made the comments in an interview with the Irish Times ahead of his appearance at the SDLP’s New Ireland Commission.

Asked about his comments on Thursday morning, Ms McDonald said they were welcome but “belated”.

“I’m glad that he’s exited the position of taoiseach, that he’s found his inner Shinner and his appetite for reunification,” the Dublin TD said.

“This is where every political party should be. This is the big opportunity for our island to consolidate peace, to finally reach a point of reconciliation, and to benefit from the huge economic and social and political opportunity that will present to us.

“To us, this is a no-brainer. Of course, it has to be more than rhetoric. A soundbite is not enough.

“Those that are committed to reunification recognise there has to be a citizen’s assembly, a structured democratic conversation.

“There has to be commitment to the holding of referendums. That’s really the issue here.

“If you believe that we support and enforce all of the Good Friday Agreement, well then you have to have a commitment to the holding of referendums.

“That’s the point at which the people have their say.

“I very much hope that every single political party will make clear-cut commitments on this regard, not just to move from an aspiration to an objective, but rather to move from an objective to an active plan of action.

“I hope that will be the case for Fine Gael. I wonder, will the taoiseach now make absolutely clear that the position of Fine Gael is now finally to recognise the need for referendums, the need for planning.”

Ms McDonald’s comments were put to Mr Varadkar during the event in Derry as he was asked why he was being more outspoken on the issue of unification since he had stood down as taoiseach.

“One of the advantages of not being involved in electoral politics now is I’m more free to say what I think and do what I think is right,” he said.

“Whereas you know, when you’re taoiseach, when you’re a leader of a political party, you have to think about how your party’s going to react, how your coalition partner is going to react, how the media might interpret it, how it might be heard in London, for example.

“And, look, I’m less concerned about those things. Constraints come with office, and you accept them, but when you don’t hold office anymore, you don’t have the same level of constraints.”

Speaking at the Sinn Fein alternative budget launch, Mayo TD Rose Conway-Walsh also welcomed Mr Varadkar’s comments.

“But it needs to mean much more than that,” she added.

“He was taoiseach and he should have been planning. I think it’s absolutely reckless for any government not to be planning for reunification at this stage.

“Obviously, Sinn Fein believes that citizens have the right to national self-determination.

“Currently, we’re living on a partitioned island, and that is costing us dearly.

“Addressing this by achieving Irish unity through the referendums included within the Good Friday Agreement is and always has been a Sinn Fein priority.

“A new and united Ireland with citizens rights as its core is what we seek to deliver. The Irish Government has a constitutional obligation to pursue and to prepare for unity.”