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Constitutional Change

At a meeting of Mid Ulster District Council on 27 May 2021, the following motion was passed:

That this Council recognises that the discussions about a constitutional change is now well underway and this Council has a duty to consult with its ratepayers on this important issue and the implications for the Council area. Therefore, calls on the Council to progress workshops on Irish unity and to begin a consultation with ratepayers and community and business representatives to assess views on the issues related to constitutional change.

The Council recognises that discussions about constitutional change are already underway and believes there is an opportunity to engage with local people, community organisations, businesses and other stakeholders to capture a wide range of views and enhanced understanding of the issues and implications from a depth and breadth of perspectives.

Progress to date

  • A planning workshop was held with elected members on 21 May 2024 to discuss the initial stages in the development of an inclusive approach to engaging stakeholders and citizens.

  • Initial engagement with statutory and non-statutory organisations has started.

  • A series of six themed Fact-Finding Workshops for Elected Members were delivered between June 2025 and June 2026. 

Elected Member Fact Finding Workshops

Workshop 1 (June 2025) Theme: Sport and Constitutional Change
Speakers included:

  • Dr Kyle Ferguson, University of Ulster

  • Joe McAree, Dungannon United Youth

  • Stephen McGeehan, Ulster GAA

Workshop 2 (September 2025) Theme: Women and Constitutional Change
Speakers included:

  • Prof Jennifer Todd, University College Dublin

  • Prof Joanne Mc Evoy, University of Aberdeen

Workshop 3 (November 2025) Theme: The Economy and Constitutional Change
Speakers included:

  • Dr Karen Bonner, Principal Economist at University of Ulster

  • Prof John Doyle, Dublin City University

  • Brenda McVeigh, Former senior civil servant in the Department of Finance, Dublin

Workshop 4 (March 2026) Theme: Health and Constitutional Change
Speakers included:

  • Mr John Compton 

  • Dr Shelley Deane, Dublin City University

Workshop 5 (April 2026) Theme: Tourism and the Environment
Speakers included:

  • Ana Desmond, Senior Economist University of Ulster

  • Mr David Gavaghan 

  • Dr Mary Dobbs, Maynooth University

Workshop 6 (June 2026) Theme: Agriculture and Climate
Speakers included:

  • Professor John Fitzgerald, Trinity College Dublin

  • Professor John Gilliland, Queen's University Belfast

  • Dr Owen Doyle, Former Assoc. Professor University College Dublin

The thematic summaries from all six workshops will be made available in autumn 2026.

Public views

Mid Ulster District Council invites comments from the public, businesses and organisations on constitutional change and the implications for the Council area.

Views, experiences, research and other evidence that you would like to share can be submitted:

Via email to: constitution@midulstercouncil.org 

By writing to: Constitutional Change, Mid Ulster District Council, Circular Road, Dungannon, BT71 6DT

Alternative arrangements can be made on request for those who are unable to submit their views using the above methods.
 

 

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