30 October 2026

SDLP Leader Claire Hanna MP has welcomed the Taoiseach’s intervention on a New Ireland as a significant step forward, saying the SDLP will work with the Irish Government to turn ambition into practical preparation.

Claire Hanna MP said:

“This is a significant and welcome intervention from the Taoiseach and an important step forward in the conversation about a new Ireland.

“The SDLP has consistently called for the Irish Government to take a leading role in preparing for constitutional change, including through our call for a dedicated Minister for a New Ireland to drive that work across government.

“Our ambition is clear: we want to build a new Ireland founded on the common good of all our people - one that respects different traditions, creates opportunity for our young people and gives everyone who shares this island a stake in its future.

“A New Ireland should not simply mean changing the constitutional arrangements. It should mean building something better.

“The SDLP is the only cross-community party with a plan for a New Ireland. We will work constructively with the Irish Government on this journey, bringing our ideas, our experience and our commitment to building a New Ireland, with a better Northern Ireland along the way.”