How can we integrate Unionism into a possible United Ireland?

Larbre34

No, Irish nationalists are a majority. Let them have a devolved government within the Republic.

In fact, its the perfect opportunity to get rid of our arcane system of local government and replace it with 7 or 8 powerful regional assemblies, including the 6 Counties, to allow for proper regional development, devolution and sustainable planning.

The HSE re-org has already presented a template...

scottser

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122475873#Comment_122475873

The status quo is the worst of all possible options. Stormont won't work unless both all parties are actively ambitious for the success of NI and not just blowing their own trumpets. But if they were to go down the devolved parliament route, it would be far better under Irish governance than the UK's. As much as our electoral system isn't perfect, it does at least force a consensus and promote the middle ground in order to simply get things done.

tinytobe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122478032#Comment_122478032

As hard as it is, but the status quo is probably the only ever workable solution, at least for the next 10 to 15 years. Sadly with Brexit in the UK things haven't gotten any easier as well.

Also one of the biggest issues you're looking at here is that in a possible united Ireland, Dublin would have to foot the bill, for all and everything which is at the moment funded from Westminster. For Westminster the bill is a small amount, for Dublin it'll be a huge financial cost to shoulder.

The question asked in the thread is actually not one but two questions:

How can Ireland be reunited? and And how can Dublin finance everthing?

And given the history and all the conflicts, I'd say it's safe to say that loyalism and unionism is totally incompatible with republicanism.

The only future I would see and realy want to have is a peacefull co-existence with a very very transparent and invisible border.

scottser

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122478302#Comment_122478302

I keep hearing that 'Ireland has to foot the bill' in these debates but I doubt that will be the case. The UK would still have long-term loans on capital infrastucture and other liabilities such as their civil service that isn't going to change overnight. There would be a long period of transition that would need to be budgeted for.

tinytobe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122478336#Comment_122478336

No, ever since Brexit we know that you can't have one without the other.

As for everything else, money and who is going to pay for what is always a major factor. It always is.

Furthermore there would be a lot of other things we all wouldn't agree upon, NATO membership, the currency, citizenship, the colour of letter boxes, names of streets and places to be renamed or not to be renamed, etc… Transition periods would also mean deadlines and cut off dates, none would agree upon as well.

All subjects we would already disagree upon and argue about today.

scottser

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122479548#Comment_122479548

All those are just details. It's all doable and it's all worth it.

There is a way to get square pegs into round holes.

tinytobe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122479585#Comment_122479585

I think the discussion about Irish unification will always come up again and again.

But I bet, there won't be an Irish unification in 20 or 30 years in the future.

One requirement that would need to happen, is that NI would need a stronger economy and not having any financial dependenace on Westminster. I don't see that happening any time soon.