A FINE GAEL TD has hatched an audacious bid for the reunification of the nine counties of Ulster.

In a move that has raised Unionist eyebrows, Donegal North-East TD Joe McHugh is proposing that there should be a nine-county Ulster constituency for future European elections. Instead of Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal voting with the five
counties of Connacht, and Longford, Westmeath and Clare, in the Ireland North West constituency, he is
making the case for an 'Alternative Ulster'.

McHugh told the Sunday Tribune: "We need to look at Ulster as a collective nine-county region. Central government in Dublin has failed Donegal under Fianna Fáil so we have to look more towards an integrated policy for the North-West and Ulster."

"We should explore at European level the possibility of establishing a single Ulster-European constituency. From a practical point of view, it would require a referendum but it would certainly help us to have integrated policy at a North-South level.

"Even though the framework for integrated transport, health, marine and education policy has been in place under the Good Friday agreement for over 10 years, it has not been happening on a practical level on the ground."

An online opinion poll on McHugh's own website, www.donegalmatters.com, has so far found that 85% of respondents are in favour of the proposal with just 15% opposed to it.

However, McHugh's suggestion has not gone down well with Ulster unionists, with one of them labelling it a "hair-brained scheme".

Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) MEP Jim Nicholson said: "Northern Ireland is an integral part of the United Kingdom, just as Monaghan, Donegal and Cavan are integral parts of the Republic of Ireland. Not recognising this doesn't aid or help cooperation – in fact, it undermines it.

"Harebrained schemes to avoid the reality that we are separate jurisdictions are a complete distraction."