How can we integrate Unionism into a possible United Ireland?

I don’t care more or less about Offaly people either, they are just the same to me as anyone else I meet. Bobby Sands died 40 years ago, I was 12, doesn’t mean anything to me.

You are confusing indifference with hatred, I don’t hate either party in NI, I am indifferent to their claims, but I do recognise that both should be afforded the respect they deserve.

The most popular party in Northern Ireland is also the most popular in the Republic, we are strongly linked not only by sharing the island but politically as well, it makes perfect sense to unite the Island economically as well, there are major economic benefits for all the counties of Ireland, which I’m sure is the only thing that will convince people like yourself who are only worried about a few extra pennies in their pocket.

Much of the discussion to this point in relation to a United Ireland has centred on the issue of the North’s subvention, the annual subsidy it receives from the UK exchequer to cover its costs, which amounted to £9.4 billion (€10.8 billion) in 2019.

There are various elements that underpin the North’s subvention. The largest three elements that underpin the north’s subventions are pensions, Northern Ireland’s share of the UK’s national debt and defence spending. 

Most academics argue that most of the money involved in these transfers would not apply in the event of a united Ireland. The cost of the subvention objectively – in terms of what is relevant to the debate about Irish unity – is no more than £2 billion to £3 billion.

Just out of curiosity what would put you in favor of a United Ireland? What would you have to know beforehand?

If it ever happened (BIG IF), it would only be a matter of time before a so called united Ireland descended into complete and utter anarchy. If you think the past troubles in the North were bad....

It's a hugely sensitive topic and no amount of discussion and debate here - thrusting viewpoints back and forth - is going to make a blind bit of difference. You're just going to end up going to bed with a lot of pent up frustration or anger, and probably kick the cat (or dog), or even the wife!

What do unionists do in the situation the union collapses. Scotland want out then the English. They can't blame dublin for this. Most moderate unionists would then see a united ireland as the only real alternative. There is some extream unionists who don't see themselves as Irish and would rather an independent NI over a UI but they would be a shrinking minority. Most people in Ireland would welcome a UI and most people in Britain would welcome NI leaving the union so it does seem likely.

Alot of nationalists live happily in the union so I imagine in a UI many unionists can do aswell. With the collapse of religion the main difference between nationalists and unionists has been removed anyway.

I honestly find the proposal impossible, and it's probably not going to happen within our generation. It would need a new and younger generation to make this happen.

I think the first order of business would be to make sure, that all the paramilitaries will have to go and go permanently. The UFF, the UDF, and all possible republican paramilitary activity would have to be dealt with, to ensure that a possible United Ireland is a peaceful one and stays a peaceful one. What we don't want is paramilitary activity within the whole Republic of Ireland.

What would also have to go, are all these murals in Northern Ireland, all of them, of both sides, Republican and Loyalist, regardless if some people like them, some say they are Graded or Listed, they would have to go. No names of people who died and are seen as "heroes", no wording like "no retreat so surrender" or "still under siege" as well as references to Cuba or Palestine. This would all have no place in a united Ireland as well.

That alone would be a huge undertaking, but it would be the first step necessary for a United Ireland. People are very resistant to change up in the North, whatever side you're looking at, - sadly.

The partitionists are going all in on this thread, no holding back.

Northern Tayto, Southern Cadburys. Unification sorted. You can all thank me later.

I know. And also, as long as te SF is strong uniting Ireland doesn't make any sense at all to me. I think in my opinion a United Ireland is never supposed to happen either quickly or overnight or with the same attitude as Brexit happened in the UK something like "us taking back control ourselves but not knowing how".

A United Ireland would however be a natural consequence of Brexit going on and gone wrong massively for the UK, but it would also need a totally new and younger generation to make it happen in a peaceful way. And then there are also financial consequences for Dublin and the newly integrated North.

Uniting Ireland will happen at some point in my opinion, but now is not the time. Maybe in 20 or 30 years.

You won't have to because a united Ireland is not going to happen.

I can see the Republic voting it down.

A SF government in the Republic will be the death nail of it.

You supplant the Unionist identity with an Ulster identity instead. The new boogeymen are not "the Irish", but the southern Irish (ex. Ulster)

Less Union Jacks, more Red Hands of Ulster. Give a devolved government to Ulster aswell and I would think most would be happy with that in the long run.

They can still hang onto their Ulster Scots (lol) identity etc too

The NHS is free, but the idea that it is better in NI is long out of date. At macro level this shows up in people living longer in the 26 counties. It shows up in the longer waiting lists in NI, to the point where actually waiting is not an option for many people and they have to fund the operation privately. The HSE is hardly perfect or even satisfactory, but it is tending to improve while the health service in NI gets worse. This "free" service is funded by national insurance charges that amount to £1000 extra for people on average salaries, and London is proposing to increase this in April. By simply collecting this amount from people in NI you could still have "free" health after a UI. The whole health thing is not a real problem but an exaggerated one from people who haven't thought about it.

Yes, there will be redundancies in the public service, although some data collection is needed to identify where this surplus exists. But most public jobs are in education and health and these will carry on, if there was a redundancy/early retirement scheme then many would choose this.

The broader question of affordability is the real one and depends on the actual calculations, which are far from known at present. The unknowns include the actual level of expenditure, the actual level of tax and income and the arrangements made for public debt and pensions etc. I see no reason for Irish taxpayer to take on board UDR pensions and the like that might be in the NI budget. The NI economy certainly has the ability to grow more quickly than at present and cut any gap, especially when the rest of the country is overheated.