Una Mullally: Taoiseach’s bland nothings on united Ireland fail us all

Last week, the Claire Byrne Live programme on RTÉ hosted a discussion on a united Ireland. Overall it was a stimulating, measured (let’s just forget about the DUP for the moment) and compelling piece of television. Creating “event” current affairs television can often mean conflict and false equivalence and end up in disarray. But Byrne and her team managed to steer a big show with multiple guests very well.

The gravity of the occasion was amplified by the tension between Tánaiste Leo Varadkar and Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, who did us all a favour by discussing the issues around Irish unity in a mature, measured, respectful and hugely encouraging manner, during which they were often on the same page. For politicians and viewers alike, it was a lesson in establishing common ground, and avoiding the kind of point-scoring reflex that can often ruin decent discussions. Both clearly realised that this issue was bigger than them, and bigger than their parties, and it’s certainly bigger than their differences.

The stasis of Micheál Martin is not just an issue for Fianna Fáil – in many ways, his leadership is a manifestation of their contemporary irrelevance as a party

The final part of the programme was an interview with the Taoiseach Micheál Martin. Here, the Taoiseach had a free pass to set out three stalls on the issue of Irish unity; his own, his party’s and the country’s. He was given a platform unopposed. He didn’t have to debate anyone. And how often in the past year has any party leader been given the space to talk at length about anything other than the pandemic? This was a moment not for bombastic rhetoric for the sake of it, but for big ideas, big aspirations, big vision. My word, how he failed.

The past

What was most profound was that where McDonald and Varadkar spoke a lot about the future, Martin spoke primarily of the past. He talked about his brand of republicanism a la Wolfe Tone, who I’m sure would only be punching the air at the very mention of “common agendas like an all-island research hub”. He reserved a smile for when he mentioned Bertie Ahern. He talked about the prospect of finishing the Ulster Canal (any day now). He talked about being a student in UCC and visiting Belfast. He talked about John Hume, David Ervine, Seamus Mallon, being a member of the government that was in place when the Good Friday Agreement was signed. The past, the past, the past. There was no vision for the future among the waffle. “My view is that I think it’s important that we continue to work together and engage with each other,” he said. Great. Thanks. Hadn’t thought of that one before.

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He raised the Shared Island Dialogue series, as part of the Shared Island Unit in his own department. Most people don’t even know this series is happening, and it has largely failed to engage anyone outside those directly participating in the discussions. The Taoiseach’s address at the first meeting has just over 200 views on YouTube. Eamon Ryan’s address at the latest meeting on climate has 40 views on YouTube. Clearly this is the Taoiseach’s version of “engagement”.

Forums, hubs, committees and any other mechanisms Martin can invent or use to kick issues into touch have been a trademark of his career. Martin has been a TD for 32 years, long enough for anyone to become institutionalised by any gig, and a career span that’s just a few years short of the median age of a person on this island.

Martin’s stasis

The stasis of Micheál Martin is not just an issue for Fianna Fáil – in many ways, his leadership is a manifestation of their contemporary irrelevance as a party. The stasis of Martin is also an issue for government and for the country. To have a leader seemingly comfortable with treading water and coasting in an era of profound change – not to mention the current pandemic crisis – is quite sad. During the interview he made two admissions that were pretty extraordinary, but easy to miss among the blandness. As a student he said he assumed the violence in the North would last for ever. He also said that he didn’t see the Good Friday Agreement coming, even as a TD. What is wrong with Martin’s imagination that he cannot see beyond the status quo?

That the leader of the country would arrive to a studio to discuss such an important issue and dither through, is simply not good enough

Younger Irish people are just not content with this “we are where we are” mentality, or the state of things just ticking along, where events just happen around us without any direction or vision, and that time should simply pass without opportunities being seized. The patronising discourse that is emerging around a Border poll ending up like the Brexit referendum places little faith in the remarkable culture of societal discourse, active citizenship, grass-roots organising and respectful conversations new generations have achieved in recent years on complex issues. Ireland has changed. Catch up.

Many people will overlook Martin’s performance on Claire Byrne’s show as just another phoning-it-in instance of the almost Beckettian heel-kicking for which he is known. We’re used to his purgatorial approach to leadership at this stage. But it should also not be overlooked. That the leader of the country would arrive to a studio to discuss such an important issue and dither through, is simply not good enough. Deflating, demoralising, uninspiring, disconnected, and putting forth arguments for paralysis as opposed to action, is not where new generations in this country are at. Not only that, but such stasis is also dangerous. The future of our island is not just another can to kick down the road.