How can we integrate Unionism into a possible United Ireland?

I agree with the earlier posters, your claim that it will cost less than we might think is hardly a good selling point. The question is, what benefit will it bring to the 5m people living in the Republic?

You claim there are studies which show the economic benefits of unification, I’d like you to link a few of them. I’d also like to read a few studies on the social benefits for both populations after unification.

And Harry, don’t list the Tory party’s influence over the people of NI as a consideration for Southerners, it isn’t.

You asked earlier what would it take for me to support unification, show me how it will benefit me.

Quite right, many Americans claim heritage from somewhere and are proud of it, even if it is tenuous . A few years ago I was in a bar in Manhattan, the guys beside me were Trump supporters giving out about emigrants coming to the US, when they heard my Irish accent they asked what I thought. I just asked them how many of them considered themselves native Americans/Indians, they laughed and said they were Irish, German, Scottish etc Americans, not Indians. The cent dropped a couple of seconds later. It was just convenient to label themselves Irish American, but in reality they are just plain old yanks, but some relative down the line was once an emigrant just like the people they wanted to keep out.

SF are nothing if not pragmatic, their popularity in the South is based on issues which affect the electorate directly like housing, taxation, health, crime etc. They don’t bang on to often about unification, with good reason, it isn’t an important consideration down here.

Something like a quarter of all employed people work in the public service and another 20% rely on government benefits, payments for these would have to be standardised with those in the South so those lower the pay and handouts would rise considerably which of course would lead to higher prices. The private sector is no where near as developed as the South.

I have plagiarised the above from this article:

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/economy/what-would-be-the-economic-costs-and-benefits-of-a-united-ireland-1.4557508

They may be a greater threat to a UI than any Unionist objections.

I claimed that it was down to the Tory party what happened to the IRISH border and many other things concerning us, how does the Irish border have nothing to do with us? Doesn't effect us at all no?

The first and only rigorous academic study of the economic impact of unification, In this study that is seen as the as the first and only major examination of the potential economic effects of an all-island economy, the ‘Modeling Irish Unification’ report — undertaken by Canadian consultancy KLC and University of British Columbia academics, who have carried out similar reports on German and Korean unification — suggests “significant long-term improvement” in the economies of both the North and the Republic resulting from unification.

“GDP in the Republic could rise by €30m to €152m in the year of policy implementation. In total, Irish unification could boost all- island GDP in the first eight years by as much as €35.6bn,” the report concluded, yet people like yourself seem so certain that unification will "ruin the 26 counties" based on little to no evidence and overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

I can only put this down to a partitionist agenda of yourself and others who are fundamentally opposed to a United Ireland.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/business/arid-20388959.html

What makes you actually believe any of this? In the post above you I talked about the first and only rigorous academic study of the economic impact of unification, a study that is seen as the as the first and only major examination of the potential economic effects of an all-island economy, the ‘Modeling Irish Unification’ report — undertaken by Canadian consultancy KLC and University of British Columbia academics.

This study shows that in all likelihood there would be major benefits for the whole island, yet you and others go on about "less disposable incomes for the next few decades" for no logical reason at all only to further your agenda.

Again, you are making unfounded accusations. I am not a partitionist, I suspect you will struggle to find anyone who wants a partition. What I am is indifferent to the fact that it exists and don’t see the benefit to me unification, and I think telling a million unionists they are no longer part of the union is going to be at least as much trouble as telling Nationalists they are British.

Now I know it suits your agenda to think I am unpatriotic, fact is, I support the country I live and work in, ROI, NI is a UK problem.

And, one study? That’s it? Where is the study on the social impact in the North of unification?

So this is what the partitionists have had to resort to? Complete lies? It doesn't say that at all, the study claims that uniting the 32 counties would significantly increase economic growth on both sides of the border.

Speaking at the event of the study, Michael Burke, economic consultant and former Senior International Economist at Citibank in London, discussed the impact of a unified Ireland "In my view - and I think it is substantiated by this very voluminous research - Irish unification is a growth story, is a success story, is a prosperity story, and that's why I very much welcome the report".

Are you serious? You don't have a clue about the study then, it's the first and only rigorous academic study of the economic impact of unification taken by the some of the greatest experts in the field who also held similar studies on the unification of Germany and Korea, do you seriously think they didn't take the costs into account when they talk about the benefits?

You're twisting the words completely, it was an estimated 35bn, which means that money would be generated each year for the future, apparently though that's nothing but peanuts to the partitionists, yet you and the others say that the 3 billion a year cost of Northern Ireland would ruin the Republic and give us all "less disposable income for decades".

Clutching at straws here now lads.

The report gives a number of unification scenarios and then predicts possible benefits.

35bn over 8 years is for the whole island. Given NI awful economy, that is a good increase but a pittance from our perspective given our GDP is 350bn.

Scenario 3 to get the 35bn over 8 years involves;

"Unification in combined scenario 3 means the ROI pays 100% of NI’s government deficit, harmonization of functions of government reduces NI’s government expenditure by 2% annually from 2018-2025, and adoption of the ROI’s tax regime and foreign investment policy platform attract a higher presence of multinational firms....."

It doesn't take into account increased SW or PS pay, capital investment etc. Just looks at benefits.

Granted, 35bn over 8 years is technically a benefit but does anybody really believe that covers the cost!