Michelle O'Neill said: "I welcome the creation of any Forum to discuss Irish Unity but this must go beyond rhetoric. The only way forward is the referendum contained in the Good Friday Agreement, of course that must be preceded with debate and discussion.”

She added; “I look forward to an invitation to participate in this proposed Commission. Sinn Féin is currently the party with the largest mandate across the island of Ireland. We will use our mandate to advance Irish unity wherever there is an opportunity to do so.”

Sinn Féin, said O’Neill “is about creating a new and inclusive Ireland where all cultures, backgrounds and religions are accepted and protected. I hope that unionists will engage with this proposed Forum and that political unionism shows leadership on this issue. The Irish Government needs to step up to the mark and plan for Irish Unity. The SDLP, and all political parties, should be part of this.”

Sinn Féin also hope that a white paper on Irish Unity need to be presented and the British government needs to be put pressure on so to secure a date for a referendum on Irish Unity within the next five years. "This is a live issue; the mechanism is within the Good Friday Agreement and it’s time the people of Ireland had their say."