The Case For A United Ireland
Paul, the Northern Irish Magyar has posted a piece looking at the future of the Union.
In it, he poses a series of excellent questions about his expected quality of life if Northern Ireland is incorporated into a United Ireland.
- Will I pay less taxes/social security contributions?
- Will my retirement provision be strengthened by the switchover?
- Will my career prospects improve (especially important for public-sector employees)?
- Will the 32 County state deliver a stronger educational system for my children?
- Is the Republic’s Health provision better than the British one?
- What level of administrative chaos will I face switching over bank accounts, mortgages, investment plans etc
All very relevant questions, completely separated from the romanticism which frequently clouds requests for a United Ireland. 1916 proclamaition be damned!
I wonder how many Republicans actually stopped to think about the implications of a United Ireland in the last few years? How their healthcare might be affected. What quality of education system they might expect. How disruptive the entire transition would be for both economies.
For my part, I would welcome a real-world study into unification. I’d like to know how single parent families fare in the ROI compared with here. I’d like to see how our two education systems compare. Would I be wealthier/more secure if I worked in a United Ireland as opposed to an off-shoot of the UK?
If anyone out there knows of a report on this subject, please let me know - I’d love to read it. If not, why doesn’t someone look into this?
Anyway, in the meantime, have a read of Paul’s article and let him know your thoughts!
