Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said "I cannot understand political leaders or political parties who refuse to see what is in plain sight and that is that change is happening."

There have been increasing calls for a poll on Irish unity. Academics have called for a date to be set now to allow for a realistic debate to get underway, while Sinn Féin has said that a poll should be held within five years.

Ms McDonald pointed out that the conversation around Irish unity is happening among nationalists and unionists alike.

"This needs to be a respectful conversation and it’s the job of the government in Dublin to shape that conversation," she said and added: "Brexit has accelerated this conversation. It’s reckless not to plan. It is game on for unification and I think the thoughtful thing, the wise thing to do, is to plan from now."

Reminding that this is not just a Sinn Féin issue, McDonald said: "The future of the island, the constitutional, political and economic arrangements and welfare on the island, is everybody’s business. Any thoughtful party seeking to be in government, to occupy high office, should recognise that as an objective reality."

McDonald said a five-year timeline is reasonable to get the "spade work done". She added that the call for a referendum by the British government will only take place when the Dublin government is proactively planning for Irish unification.