How can we integrate Unionism into a possible United Ireland?

I seriously doubt we will have a new capital, it wouldn't make any sense, we might have a few new minor parties but the popular parties would remain the same for the foreseeable future anyway, we could change the flag if we wanted although there is certainly no obligation to do so, the flag we already have is perfect for a United Ireland, what many unionists don't know about the flag is that green represents Catholics, the orange represents protestants, and the white in the middle represents the peace between them.

Kosovo is an aspirant member and those so-called billions amount to around €110m per year. We won't get anything like that considering the basket case that is Kosovo.

Even if we did, €100m a year is a drop in the ocean of funding required.

What people need to realise is that even a drop of 15% in living standards in the South as a result of unification would still leave average living standards above the European average, so sympathy would be short supply, especially as we would have voted for it ourselves.

Who said I was talking about you?

• Complete new administration based on regions: Ulster, Leinster (minus greater Dublin), Dublin, Munster & Connacht. Regional assemblies with powers to raise tax and apply local legislation.
• Get rid of current local authorities
• Overarching state legislature, no Seanad. This body to rotate meetings around the five regions i.e. no capital per se with a state parliament.
• New flag
• New anthem
• New constitution
• English to be the official primary language of the state with Irish, Scots, Polish etc as secondary languages
• New spirit of co-operation and respect for all traditions on the island.

That'll do for starters and by the way, 80% of the electorate both sides of the border to be in favour.

You're talking about a federal system and what you've outlined has a lot of merit.

Starting from a clean sheet of paper, but borrowing from best practice elsewhere sounds like a plan.

Why not a new Capital? I doubt that Belfast would like Dublin to call all the shots. The flag in theory represents both sides but over the years has come to solely represent the Irish Republic. How about this?

True, I would be more than happy to make Belfast the Capital as a gesture to the Unionists and also the change the flag, I think changing the flag would be a good way of welcoming the Unionists.

St George's Cross?

Cork for the Capital!

I'm sure we would work something out, maybe meet somewhere in the middle.

Fair enough but you seem to be forgetting that your ancestors also fought to free all of this country, not just 26 counties, they fought for all the men, women and children of this country.

Judging by your posting history on this thread you seem to be more on in favour of the current partition than unification, you seem to express strong doubt and indifference to an independent Ireland, which I'm sure your ancestors would have cared far more about than trivial things like flags and where the capital is.

Well then you're deluded, every party in the Republic say they support unification and all polls say the people do too, it would receive next to no opposition here in the Republic, next to one would be arguing against it and once we got to genuine debate about a future referendum then a yes vote would get overwhelming votes.

That's rubbish, phrase any question with the term "would you pay more taxes" then you are going to get a different answer completely. Ask someone a question saying "would you be in favour of stopping world hunger", I'm sure they would all say yes. Ask them again saying "would you be in favour of stopping world hunger if it meant paying more taxes" then you will get a different answer completely. Asking someone a question saying would they pay more taxes while not giving them any idea in how much tax and not engaging in even a slight discussion whatsoever then that question holds no merit.

Nobody would oppose a United Ireland, all the parties are in favour of it, it would receive no opposition.

So how does that work then, if there was a referendum planned and you asked them if they would vote for it I'm certain they would say yes, it's obvious we would have to pay slightly more taxes after unification.

What about all the polls done during the troubles which all showed at least 80 percent of people wanting unification, They never asked them would they vote for it if they had to pay more taxes, but it would have been obvious back in those days of the 70s, 80s and 90s that they would have had to pay more taxes.

If you ask any question in a poll focusing on a small aspect of what the question actually means then that would unfairly influence the answer, the question is automatically focusing on a negative, when there are numerous different factors.

The question is asking them would they pay more taxes, people could automatically assume this to mean an extravagant amount of taxes that could destroy their livelihoods, an answer to a question like that in no way effects how they would vote in a referendum.

The first question, simply asking people a straight question do they want unification showed over 70% of people saying yes, this figure is far more accurate in how people would vote for a referendum.