What would you sacrifice for the island whole again?

jjbrien · 31-03-2017 7:09pm

AnGaelach wrote: »

The argument that somehow Northern Ireland needs to be economically self-sufficient before we'll accept it is a thoroughly ridiculous one. The only region outside of Dublin that is self-sufficient is Cork. Dublin effectively subsidises and props up the rest of the country. Should we just kick out every other county and consider ourselves better off for it? To think so is utterly ridiculous.

I would say Galway City is self sufficient too.

FrancieBrady · 31-03-2017 7:10pm

AnGaelach wrote: »

I think it's a bit of an incorrect argument to make, if we're being honest. When the two Germanys unified, the German Central Bank actually had to increase interest rates because West Germany was booming having bought up hundreds of East German companies. Even alongside the massive wealth transfers going into investment in the former East Germany, the West was experiencing increased growth.

While the effect in the Republic might not necessarily be to the same degree, there quite likely would be a similar effect, as more productive Republic-based companies buy out inefficient Northern ones and streamline their companies.

There's also the fact that Northern Ireland's GDP would equate to around €43 billion (by their most recent estimates). That's a 14% increase in Ireland's GDP (forget about tax inversions and the 8% growth), without accounting for any of the increase in economic activity.

While there's an obvious argument regarding the security nature and the shortfall in finances, I don't think it's as severe an issue as it is being made out to be by West Brits.

It should be mentioned about Germany too that while many whinged about extra taxes to support re-unification, many many people were happy to pay it, because they knew that in the medium to long term it would pay dividends.

AnGaelach · 31-03-2017 7:12pm

jjbrien wrote: »

I would say Galway City is self sufficient too.

I wouldn't think so, the city is like 25% students. Unless you work in the retail sector selling drink and pasta

ToddyDoody wrote: »

I suppose I'm a bit like 'what will it do for me, personally?' Answer: not much but for the sake of the Irish living in the north it would be a good thing.

Well, for you, it would likely convert into lower energy costs in your house, a better health service, a better education service (since we're gaining enormously from economies of scale), and you won't have to put up with SF whinging about Northern Ireland every election cycle.

Jawgap · 31-03-2017 7:15pm

FrancieBrady wrote: »

There are no savings to made, no money that doesn't need to be spent at all?

What is twisting about saying that? You have NO idea what the final cost will be.

Sure there are.....welfare spending for example - rates may be more generous here but there's more on welfare there, so there's some savings.

Likewise, health, roads etc we can reduce spending on those.......guaranteed to win votes up there :rolleyes:

I'd imagine the people up there in both tribes would want reassurances there'd be no 'savings' that might compromise their incomes.

AnGaelach · 31-03-2017 7:17pm

Jawgap wrote: »

I'd imagine the people up there in both tribes would want reassurances there'd be no 'savings' that might compromise their incomes.

I'd imagine people would want to know there's going to be jobs and with our track record of attracting foreign investment that's pretty much guaranteed.

We could even start a military industry and put all those UVF/IRA bomb makers to work supplying the Defence Forces.

FrancieBrady · 31-03-2017 7:17pm

Jawgap wrote: »

Sure there are.....welfare spending for example - rates may be more generous here but there's more on welfare there, so there's some savings.

Likewise, health, roads etc we can reduce spending on those.......guaranteed to win votes up there :rolleyes:

I'd imagine the people up there in both tribes would want reassurances there'd be no 'savings' that might compromise their incomes.

Glad you agree the figure is 'notional' and needs to be properly analysed.

Of course it wouldn't be you if you didn't try and start a notional conflict with your notional income cuts.

Jawgap · 31-03-2017 7:21pm

AnGaelach wrote: »

I'd imagine people would want to know there's going to be jobs and with our track record of attracting foreign investment that's pretty much guaranteed.

We could even start a military industry and put all those UVF/IRA bomb makers to work supplying the Defence Forces.

Oh right, telling people here to vote for re-unification so a load of people can come in and take the jobs......genius!!

And the 'RA have helped with with the Defence Forces......how do you think they've been doing such excellent work with ISAF and why other militaries send people here to be trained in the Curragh to deal with IEDs

FrancieBrady · 31-03-2017 7:26pm

Jawgap wrote: »

Oh right, telling people here to vote for re-unification so a load of people can come in and take the jobs......genius!!

Are you sure you read his post before replying?

Jawgap · 31-03-2017 7:26pm

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Glad you agree the figure is 'notional' and needs to be properly analysed.

Of course it wouldn't be you if you didn't try and start a notional conflict with your notional income cuts.

Interpret as you wish, but it still doesn't change the subvention paid over each year.

Calina · 31-03-2017 7:28pm

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Re: picking up the tab: there may be initial costs but if it eventually leads to a benefit (which I can't see how it wouldn't if you apply the logic of 'one island, one government') why would it be an inhibitor?

This does not align with my understanding of the word "logic".

Jawgap · 31-03-2017 7:30pm

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Are you sure you read his post before replying?

Yeah....the suggestion was FDI might grow the jobs making it easier to digest NI.......I'm guessing if we cut more FDI deals the bulk of the jobs will be around Dublin.....meaning people coming down to take those jobs.....historically that has not proven to be a vote winner.

AnGaelach · 31-03-2017 7:32pm

Jawgap wrote: »

Oh right, telling people here to vote for re-unification so a load of people can come in and take the jobs......genius!!

What?

FrancieBrady · 31-03-2017 7:33pm

Jawgap wrote: »

Interpret as you wish, but it still doesn't change the subvention paid over each year.

Who said it did?

Stating the subvention as 'the cost' of unification is nonsense is the point I was making.
It is a notional figure until such time as a proper analysis is done.
There are those who like to cling to it for dear life as the 'cost' though and rant about the 'billuns and billuns'.

AnGaelach · 31-03-2017 7:34pm

Jawgap wrote: »

Yeah....the suggestion was FDI might grow the jobs making it easier to digest NI.......I'm guessing if we cut more FDI deals the bulk of the jobs will be around Dublin.....meaning people coming down to take those jobs.....historically that has not proven to be a vote winner.

You know we attract FDI on a country-wide basis right? Attracting a company in Dublin doesn't mean Cork loses out. Cork has its own FDI base and attraction, Dublin doesn't lose out either. We're operating on a country-wide basis.

Are you presuming that FDI is zero-sum and only one region can attract investment at any given time?

FrancieBrady · 31-03-2017 7:34pm

Jawgap wrote: »

Yeah....the suggestion was FDI might grow the jobs making it easier to digest NI.......I'm guessing if we cut more FDI deals the bulk of the jobs will be around Dublin.....meaning people coming down to take those jobs.....historically that has not proven to be a vote winner.

You are fond of the 'notions'.

There would be a huge drive to attract FDI into the region. It wouldn't make any sense not to.

Jawgap · 31-03-2017 7:42pm

AnGaelach wrote: »

You know we attract FDI on a country-wide basis right? Attracting a company in Dublin doesn't mean Cork loses out. Cork has its own FDI base and attraction, Dublin doesn't lose out either. We're operating on a country-wide basis.

Are you presuming that FDI is zero-sum and only one region can attract investment at any given time?

Better than perhaps you could understand.....and the bulk of it goes into the GDA......plus you raise an interesting point.....are people in Cork, Galway, Limerick, Waterford etc going to vote in favour of re-unification if it means they have to fight for the crumbs from Dublin's table with Belfast and Derry?

......think many in Belfast will vote for re-unification when it'll mean them being relegated to third city status......and Derry? They'll go from being a second city to being Waterford-on-the-Foyle.

Jawgap · 31-03-2017 7:48pm

FrancieBrady wrote: »

You are fond of the 'notions'.

There would be a huge drive to attract FDI into the region. It wouldn't make any sense not to.

I'm sure there would be......but would many companies want to actually go there?

I mean what thrusting executive wouldn't want to be sent to Belfast to work there......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9K_hMsrwRA

Zaph · 31-03-2017 7:48pm

FrancieBrady wrote: »

There would be a huge drive to attract FDI into the region. It wouldn't make any sense not to.

Do you honestly believe that the UK government has been sitting on their arses for years and not bothering trying to attract FDI into NI themselves? I fail to see how the region will all of a sudden be more attractive just because it becomes part of a united Ireland.

end of the road · 31-03-2017 7:48pm

reunification is going to happen. there are no reasons that it shouldn't.

FrancieBrady · 31-03-2017 7:52pm

Jawgap wrote: »

I'm sure there would be......but would many companies want to actually go there?

I mean what thrusting executive wouldn't want to be sent to Belfast to work there......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9K_hMsrwRA

As I said to someone earlier, you haven't been to Belfast much, have you?

Re. Who would want to go there: That is were the EU and the government would most likely come in and offer incentives to set up. FDI loves the incentives.

FrancieBrady · 31-03-2017 7:53pm

Zaph wrote: »

Do you honestly believe that the UK government has been sitting on their arses for years and not bothering trying to attract FDI into NI themselves?

Yes. And I also think it's instability hinders investment.

I fail to see how the region will all of a sudden be more attractive just because it becomes part of a united Ireland.

I could see it getting very attractive with a range of incentives.

FrancieBrady · 31-03-2017 7:55pm

Jawgap wrote: »

Better than perhaps you could understand.....and the bulk of it goes into the GDA......plus you raise an interesting point.....are people in Cork, Galway, Limerick, Waterford etc going to vote in favour of re-unification if it means they have to fight for the crumbs from Dublin's table with Belfast and Derry?

This will be 'new' investment. Does the country go into jealous rebellious turmoil when a new factory is announced somewhere? I never noticed that myself.

......think many in Belfast will vote for re-unification when it'll mean them being relegated to third city status......and Derry? They'll go from being a second city to being Waterford-on-the-Foyle.

Like most people considering how to vote their concerns will be arranged in order of priorities and trivial things will be quickly discarded.

Zaph · 31-03-2017 7:55pm

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Re. Who would want to go there: That is were the EU and the government would most likely come in and offer incentives to set up. FDI loves the incentives.

Most likely? And what if they didn't? What if the government decided that they couldn't afford it and the EU had no interest in funding it? Then what?

Jawgap · 31-03-2017 7:58pm

FrancieBrady wrote: »

As I said to someone earlier, you haven't been to Belfast much, have you?

Re. Who would want to go there: That is were the EU and the government would most likely come in and offer incentives to set up. FDI loves the incentives.

Perceptions matter......and if the quantum of incentive was the only thing that mattered how come we can't easily get companies to locate away from the GDA?

And you're right the EU would be all over it......making sure the rules on state aid are not fudged

Jawgap · 31-03-2017 8:01pm

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Yes. And I also think it's instability hinders investment.

I could see it getting very attractive with a range of incentives.

So you think the country would be more stable post re-unification? That the loyalists will meekly accept the outcome of any vote? I'm guessing they'd make the place ungovernable.

FrancieBrady · 31-03-2017 8:01pm

Zaph wrote: »

Most likely? And what if they didn't? What if the government decided that they couldn't afford it and the EU had no interest in funding it? Then what?

I don't know what would happen.
What makes you think the EU wouldn't be interested?

Jawgap · 31-03-2017 8:02pm

FrancieBrady wrote: »

This will be 'new' investment. Does the country go into jealous rebellious turmoil when a new factory is announced somewhere? I never noticed that myself.

Like most people considering how to vote their concerns will be arranged in order of priorities and trivial things will be quickly discarded.

That's right the people in Cork always wish Dublin well when investments there are announced :rolleyes:

KKkitty · 31-03-2017 8:02pm

What is the problem with a united Ireland is is that we have never had it in any of our lifetimes. What would happen? What are the latest unemployment figures from the North? Have they enough desirable businesses to boost the economy? Tourism and infrastructure is important too. It's easy to romanticise about it but the pros and cons have to be weighed up.

snowflaker · 31-03-2017 8:05pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1V0xQkk9kbc

FrancieBrady · 31-03-2017 8:10pm

Jawgap wrote: »

So you think the country would be more stable post re-unification? That the loyalists will meekly accept the outcome of any vote? I'm guessing they'd make the place ungovernable.

This is another notion to be honest.
The Loyalists would effectively be snookered and hemmed in if they had any interest in a fight. The belligerents are very much in enclaves, which they might wreck.
This is not the 70's or 80's. They have no hinterland of support, have the British watching them and the Irish.
There is no way they would be able to mount a significant campaign.
Unionism is mainly pragmatic, they might shout but eventually they will accept it and I have no doubt, become good citizens.

_Brian · 31-03-2017 8:11pm

Northern Ireland are addicted to easy money from London.
It has nothing but bloated public sector and taking that away exposes the fact that it can't sustain itself.

Taking on the six counties would spiral
Ireland back into a recession or perhaps an depression.

And for what ??
Some romantic notion of being a whole island again ?? Big swing, we can't properly manage the 26 counties we have without taking on a complete millstone to sink us.

Talk of renaming things like Garda etc is missing the problem that we can't afford the 6 counties.

And then there'll be a large % of the population who don't want tonne in a united ireland and likely we'd see a return to active dissidents causing trouble. No thanks !!

Let's go with Brexit, stick up a hard border and leave them be.

FrancieBrady · 31-03-2017 8:12pm

Jawgap wrote: »

That's right the people in Cork always wish Dublin well when investments there are announced :rolleyes:

Hadn't noticed any rebellion or huge anti Dublin voting going on. Maybe they rang Joe Duffy, did they?

Jawgap · 31-03-2017 8:14pm

FrancieBrady wrote: »

This is another notion to be honest.
The Loyalists would effectively be snookered and hemmed in if they had any interest in a fight. The belligerents are very much in enclaves, which they might wreck.
This is not the 70's or 80's. They have no hinterland of support, have the British watching them and the Irish.
There is no way they would be able to mount a significant campaign.
Unionism is mainly pragmatic, they might shout but eventually they will accept it and I have no doubt, become good citizens.

Yeah, right.

And if you really think the loyalists would accept a vote then I've a bridge you might be interested in......

.......and they don't have to mount a "significant campaign" - even an insignificant campaign would be incredibly disruptive.....and not worth it.

AnGaelach · 31-03-2017 8:18pm

Jawgap wrote: »

Better than perhaps you could understand.....and the bulk of it goes into the GDA......plus you raise an interesting point.....are people in Cork, Galway, Limerick, Waterford etc going to vote in favour of re-unification if it means they have to fight for the crumbs from Dublin's table with Belfast and Derry?

......think many in Belfast will vote for re-unification when it'll mean them being relegated to third city status......and Derry? They'll go from being a second city to being Waterford-on-the-Foyle.

I'd recommend you address my previous post then. Did Cologne, Stuttgart or Dresden vote against reunification with East Germany because Munich is the wealthiest in the region? Did people in Mecklenberg vote against reunification because Frankfurt became the financial centre of Germany?

Your argument seems to be one predicated on contrarianism, one that doesn't seem to hold any water.

I've given you an example of (West) Germany experiencing such an economic boom as a result of reunification (even after accounting for wealth transfers from West to East) that the Central Bank had to impose interest rate controls to stop a feared inflation spike. Why do you think somehow we're not going to experience something similar?

Are you just trying to find any argument against reunification, even when it's clear you're arguing from a faulty platform?

AnGaelach · 31-03-2017 8:23pm

Zaph wrote: »

Do you honestly believe that the UK government has been sitting on their arses for years and not bothering trying to attract FDI into NI themselves? I fail to see how the region will all of a sudden be more attractive just because it becomes part of a united Ireland.

The 12.5% tax and access to the Single Market...

AnGaelach · 31-03-2017 8:26pm

Jawgap wrote: »

even an insignificant campaign would be incredibly disruptive.....and not worth it.

Nothing seems "worth it" to you, though.

31-03-2017 8:30pm

I assume if there is any vote on the matter that all of us in the south would get a vote on whether or not we want the north.

In that case i don't see it ever happening. Very few people in the south would vote for the trouble that will come along with a united Ireland .

AnGaelach · 31-03-2017 8:31pm

76544567 wrote: »

I assume if there is any vote on the matter that all of us in the south would get a vote on whether or not we want the north.

In that case i don't see it ever happening. Very few people in the south would vote for the trouble that will come along with a united Ireland .

I will personally lamp anyone campaigning for a no vote about the place.:mad:

Mod: Banned

Zerbini Blewitt · 31-03-2017 8:31pm

Zaph wrote: »

Do you honestly believe that the UK government has been sitting on their arses for years and not bothering trying to attract FDI into NI themselves? I fail to see how the region will all of a sudden be more attractive just because it becomes part of a united Ireland.

BTW, Just to be absolutely clear: I am a total & eternal enemy of Sinn Fein and all provo twatology; that should be clear, but anyway- just making sure.

And yes 19th century nationalism is 100% retarded eejitry- that is a given!!!

The bulk of Northern Irelands political capital since its grubby, violent inception has been expended on the question of its legitimacy or in other words: the constitutional question.

Once that question has been put to bed (and in reference to my last post), people can expend all their energy on economic growth – on the good stuff, like here and like everywhere else (successfull).

As a citizen of the ROI, I am somewhat troubled by some of the simplistic, a-historic views of my fellow countrymen/women especially at a time when the next door neighbouring country is in the rare & strange process of flushing themselves down the toilet.

So, as a result, what’s happening now is more like tidying up after a waiter has a dropped a large tray of china cups, saucers & plates.

A Little Pony · 31-03-2017 8:33pm

Jawgap wrote: »

FrancieBrady wrote: »

So, re-finance seems to be becoming the new game in town.
Unify and restructure the whole package within the EU.
A root and branch reboot for the whole island instead of this nonsense about the south 'taking over' the north (that will ignite some Never Never rubbish and wrecking their own areas belligerents).
Everyone wins.

Yeah sure why not? And if the Shinners plant enough of their magic money trees we'll have enough roots and branches to cover the €10 to €12 billion we'll need to fund the place......

.......by the way, if someone is paying billions for something they are most definitely "taking it over" - when NI can wash its own face the politicians there can talk about re-unification in any way they want.

Which you simply couldn't afford and every political leader in the Republic knows it.

Jawgap · 31-03-2017 8:37pm

AnGaelach wrote: »

I'd recommend you address my previous post then. Did Cologne, Stuttgart or Dresden vote against reunification with East Germany because Munich is the wealthiest in the region? Did people in Mecklenberg vote against reunification because Frankfurt became the financial centre of Germany?

Your argument seems to be one predicated on contrarianism, one that doesn't seem to hold any water.

I've given you an example of (West) Germany experiencing such an economic boom as a result of reunification (even after accounting for wealth transfers from West to East) that the Central Bank had to impose interest rate controls to stop a feared inflation spike. Why do you think somehow we're not going to experience something similar?

Are you just trying to find any argument against reunification, even when it's clear you're arguing from a faulty platform?

Completely different......and you overlook the fact that the Germans had control of their fiscal AND monetary policy.....we don't have the same degree of control.

Likewise you overlook the fact that the former East Germany suffered a recession immediately after re-unification and then Germany itself suffered a recession after the initial flush of the boom......

In the late 1990s and into the early 2000s, Germany was often called "the sick man of Europe." Indeed, Germany's economic growth averaged only about 1.2 percent per year from 1998 to 2005, including a recession in 2003, and unemployment rates rose from 9.2 percent in 1998 to 11.1 percent in 2005

......but feel free to continue.

Btw, just out of interest I spent 8 months in Berlin in 1991/92 working on a project there linked to Humboldt University and the impact re-unification had on it.

Jawgap · 31-03-2017 8:39pm

AnGaelach wrote: »

Nothing seems "worth it" to you, though.

Lots of things carry worth, and I'm all for progressive taxation to pay for decent public services......I'm not interested in being taxed excessively to pay for a zoo.

Zaph · 31-03-2017 8:44pm

FrancieBrady wrote: »

I don't know what would happen.
What makes you think the EU wouldn't be interested?

Well it's as valid an argument as your assertion that they would "most likely" fund major FDI in Northern Ireland. I'd want a lot more assurances than "most likely" tbh.

AnGaelach wrote: »

The 12.5% tax and access to the Single Market...

They've had access to the Single Market for years, how has that worked out for them?

AnGaelach wrote: »

I will personally lamp anyone campaigning for a no vote about the place.:mad:

Grand so, I'll happily take my place as first in line. I'm not prepared to stand by and see the country bankrupted for some ridiculous and outdated romantic notion of "A Nation Once Again".

AnGaelach · 31-03-2017 8:46pm

Jawgap wrote: »

Completely different......and you overlook the fact that the Germans had control of their fiscal AND monetary policy.....we don't have the same degree of control.

Germany also had to operate using the DM, which was incredibly highly valued. The euro is undervalued for both themselves and for us. It makes exporting a lot easier, and since we're an export-oriented country, I think we'd experience a better boom and less of a recessionary period (so long as the economic atmosphere in the US and EU remains stable).

Jawgap wrote: »

Likewise you overlook the fact that the former East Germany suffered a recession immediately after re-unification and then Germany itself suffered a recession after the initial flush of the boom......

You're greatly overestimating the effect of the recession throughout Germany.

The 1992 depression continued into 1993, so that the economy actually registered a negative growth rate of -1.2 percent. By 1994, however, after the Bundesbank had been lowering short-term interest rates for over a year, [/b]German growth resumed at an annual rate of about 2.4 percent[/b]

Jawgap wrote: »

Btw, just out of interest I spent 8 months in Berlin in 1991/92 working on a project there linked to Humboldt University and the impact re-unification had on it.

And I've spent time in Munich, what relevance does that have exactly?

AnGaelach · 31-03-2017 8:48pm

Zaph wrote: »

They've had access to the Single Market for years, how has that worked out for them?

They haven't had a 12.5% tax rate, and they haven't been in the Eurozone. Are you seriously trying to compare these scenarios? After 2008 American firms were drawing down their investments in Europe, but we saw an increase.

I daresay we're better at attracting investment than most, and I don't see why that wouldn't continue on once we've reintegrated Northern Ireland.

Zaph wrote: »

Grand so, I'll happily take my place as first in line. I'm not prepared to stand by and see the country bankrupted for some ridiculous and outdated romantic notion of "A Nation Once Again".

I suppose you were out the streets screaming blue bloody murder about the economic apocalypse that was 2008, aye?

Jawgap · 31-03-2017 8:50pm

AnGaelach wrote: »

Germany also had to operate using the DM, which was incredibly highly valued. The euro is undervalued for both themselves and for us. It makes exporting a lot easier, and since we're an export-oriented country, I think we'd experience a better boom and less of a recessionary period (so long as the economic atmosphere in the US and EU remains stable).

You're greatly overestimating the effect of the recession throughout Germany.

And I've spent time in Munich, what relevance does that have exactly?

So you think they'll revalue the Euro to suit us?

And with no control over monetary policy how do you reckon we'll generate the money to replace the current subvention?

.....and my Betlin story has no relevance, hence my identification of it as an aside.

FrancieBrady · 31-03-2017 8:52pm

Jawgap wrote: »

Yeah, right.

And if you really think the loyalists would accept a vote then I've a bridge you might be interested in......

.......and they don't have to mount a "significant campaign" - even an insignificant campaign would be incredibly disruptive.....and not worth it.

You need to read what was written. Some loyalists will futilely object and kick.

But you are the 'expert' notionally, care to tell us how a destabilising campaign would be armed and sustained?

A Little Pony · 31-03-2017 8:55pm

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Jawgap wrote: »

Yeah, right.

And if you really think the loyalists would accept a vote then I've a bridge you might be interested in......

.......and they don't have to mount a "significant campaign" - even an insignificant campaign would be incredibly disruptive.....and not worth it.

You need to read what was written. Some loyalists will futilely object and kick.

But you are the 'expert' notionally, care to tell us how a destabilising campaign would be armed and sustained?

Loyalist funding.

Jawgap · 31-03-2017 8:56pm

FrancieBrady wrote: »

You need to read what was written. Some loyalists will futilely object and kick.

But you are the 'expert' notionally, care to tell us how a destabilising campaign would be armed and sustained?

Quite happy not to find out the hard way that it can, and I doubt many would be willing to gamble their safety and the peace we currently enjoy on the notion the loyalists will accept re-unification.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDvzGtb0QZM

AnGaelach · 31-03-2017 9:00pm

Jawgap wrote: »

So you think they'll revalue the Euro to suit us?

The euro is already undervalued for ourselves and Germany, they don't need to revalue it for us, we already have a competitive edge in exporting.

I do think the EU would give us special derogations if we really asked for it though.

Jawgap wrote: »

And with no control over monetary policy how do you reckon we'll generate the money to replace the current subvention?

I think we'll see income flows from all over the Eurozone. Germans love saving money after all. Not enough to off-set the cost, of course, however much it would be.

Our deficit is 0.9% of GDP, and we can run up to 3% under the Growth and Stability Pact (a pact broken by Germany and France mind). Assuming we want to stay within the confines of the pact, we have room to run a deficit of some €6.5 billion.

Presuming we grow at a pace faster than 3% of GDP, we should stay in a relatively stable position with regards to our finances. Barring any shocks to the world economy.

What would you sacrifice for the island whole again?

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