Pretty historically significant considering it was designed to be a 'Protestant State for a Protestant people'.
There is still only 29% who consider themselves Irish only though.
Plurality, unless you think they’re going to go from 30% to 51% in 10 years. The distinction is important given the border poll would require a majority.
Only 30.8% ticked Irish/Irish and Northern Irish? Is that not the main story?
Interesting also that parties who have presented themselves as post-racial post-sectarian have latched on to a comparison based precisely on that, and which excluded a full 20% of the population (other/no/non stated religion).
Not sure the economic issues will be put to one side that easily.
People find it easier to pass referendums that don’t cost them in their pocket.
Why is it stupid to suggest that we can't afford unification? The 26 counties has been bankrupted twice in the last 40 years thanks to Government ineptitude. And at the moment we have a housing and cost of living crisis. We're hardly the most stable economy in Europe.
Can't understand the references to Nordies being worried about "losing the NHS" - it's a basket case! Whisper it, but the the HSE is far better.
You left out some very important figures. I've included them below.
British only 31.9% (-8.0)
Irish only 29.1 (+3.8)
I hope that was an error on your part, and not a willful attempt to ignore the trends.
Twice?
everyone in Europe has a housing and cost of living crisis.
there would definitely be costs involved - this would be true even if NI were ab incredibly prosperous country. We are in a good place to absorb a lot costs and the EU would definitely help.
its not gonna happen anytime soon though.
When Has the EU said they will help with the cost ? Is that the same EU that said a financial bomb would go off in Dublin.
All that means is that the United Irelanders have to wait at least another ten years for a census that makes a border poll even conceivable.
There is no way a border poll is justified on these census figures.
Yes, twice. You may be too young to remember the first time which was in the early '80's and was caused by Fianna Fail giveaway budgets in the late '70's.
HSE far better ?…….must be a very low bar
Errrr, no.
the HSE isn’t even in the same league and it isn’t free to use either.
then there’s the cost of prescriptions…..
It's stupid because every single serious study says that we can and further more, we won't have to.
Can the Brits seriously walk away with the pensions of those who paid into their system all their lives? Seriously??
That's 5bn pa right there.
I'm actually too tired to explain the rest of it to you, but please feel free to keep posting uninformed opinion.
I'll leave you this to think about: When Germany re-united, West G was poorer than we are now by a long shot. So was East Germany. The financial ask was about 4 times the size of what would be asked of us in the south on reunification here.
Plus, the people from the east had NO concept of capitalism. NI, as bad as it is isn't like East Germany. Given any reasonable chance they'll actually be MORE productive than us.
Yes it is free and there is an issue with that too. Some don't bother turning up for stuff. They should have a fine system in place or a back of the que in that regard would cut out tons of waste and duplication. Should do it with the HSE too. Nothing is perfect but it is the model for a free healthcare system can't think of any better.
I could see the "Northern Irish-Only" identity completely outstripping the other 2 within the next generation.
When you consider all the great things you can do with your life, why would the youth of Northern Ireland ever want to risk going back to the bad old times? Much better to just avoid either side of the fence and get on with being a normal happy human being.
A united Ireland will happen only if it makes logical and practical sense, and if sectarian tensions are long gone as an everyday issue.
Yes that's what I mean.
"Irish only" would have to be in the plurality
Oh ofc and if it gets over 50% there should be a poll. But as someone pointed out there may be a rise of NI identity so how do you poll for that and work out how they will vote. It seems to be getting more complex than ever. I wager if you put in EU there would be a percentage of that too.
Or you make the plans for the next 10 years given the trends of the previous 20 years? Why do no planning for the next 10 years? An early to mid 2030s border poll is looking very likely
This NHS thing is a complete strawman. I have a lot of family living in England and their experiences of the NHS are close to identical to ours here with the HSE. There are a few perks like free prescriptions but overall the standard of care between the 2 health systems is very comparable. The Tories are hell bent on ruining the NHS anyway over the next few years so that argument is likely to hold even less weight in future.
IIRC the tories have wanted shut of the NHS for time and memorial it's still there.
Exactly, in fact globally the Irish health care system comes out ahead of the NHS: https://www.newstalk.com/news/ireland-places-13th-in-global-healthcare-system-ranking-535281
But because it's so engrained in the Irish that our health service is 'third world' and it's so engrained in Britain that the NHS is 'the best in the world' that it's just lazily assumed one is much better than the other.
But the number for "Northern Irish only" has decreased by about 1% since 2011.
On the economic argument there is no way economics would prevent a majority vote for a united Ireland in the south.
This is something that by the has been talked about for over a century, it won't fail on the cost argument.
SF will push for and likely get a border poll towards the end of this decade, assuming they are leading the government in the republic. They may not believe it has a realistic chance of passing but I reckon they would regard it as a worthwhile exercise if they secured round 45% yes. They could show their more unreconstructed supporters they are 'doing something' to achieve Irish unity and they could reasonably claim it was just a bit up the road, given inexorable demograhic trends.
Utter nonsense.
ireland has of the highest per capita spending on healthcare in the EU.
in return we get one of the lowest all cause mortality rates, one of the lowest infant mortality rates, one of the highest cancer survival rates and well above average heart attack and stroke survival rates.
statistically speaking you are more likely to be alive in Ireland 5 years after a cancer diagnosis, stroke or heart attack than you are in Germany or France or the UK
So some people do have to pay a max of €140 in a month on prescriptions, but this is rare and unusual. As long term illnesses get free medications. As do the young, the old and those without means to pay €140.
anyway this is derailing the thread, bring on a UI, we’ll be an economic powerhouse, and will lift our nordie brother and sisters to our exceptionally high Human Development Score HDI
Just hope the orange brigade don’t get violent, I see Jamie Bryson already whipping up hate and division
They haven’t - because why would they? I just know how the EU operates and am comfortable saying they would provide significant funding.
Anyone have a notion of what the other is in the nationality statistics ? Home country ?
On what basis exactly ? Silly question here is there any mention in EU laws relating to a new country being formed from the Republic and NI automatically being part of the EU ? I know in Scotland's case that was not the case.
For starters on the basis that they would be entitled to regional development funds. But also for the same reason they have backed Ireland to the hilt against the U.K.
scotlands case is not remotely comparable and we have the rather obvious example of German reunification.
But why would they go for a border poll to get a mere 45% and then not have the opportunity to go for one again for possibly 25 years.
Huge constitutional votes like this don't get re run until the "correct" outcome is achieved.
In 1995 Quebec voted to remain in Canada by less than 1%, no one has said boo about independence since.
In 1999 Australia voted against becoming a republic, and it has not been on the agenda since.
A border poll has to be ready to succeed before it's called.
Anything else is a clusterf**k.
Yes a quick google will show you that Northern Ireland reunifying with ROI is treated by the EU in the exact same manner as East Germany was treated by the EU when they reunified with West Germany.
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