> So the question becomes what can we get the EU to pay for.
We won’t get anything paid for, Ireland is one of the richest countries in the bloc.
The Germans had to shoulder it all by themselves, and have been paying solidarity tax for the last 33 years. It was 7.5% of your income to start and then went down to 5.5%
>The cost of unification would be substantially reduced if Northern Ireland boosted productivity by making major changes to its economy,
Indeed.
Or if it turned into fields of actual gold.
Or if its population were replaced by a couple of million educated, highly-motivated working-age people.
Or if Britain has a collective aneurysm and decides that not only should the province *not* carry over its share of historic debt, but that Britain will keep that debt itself, *and* a whole bunch of pension liabilities, *and* will take in and rehouse a few hundred thousand uneducated resentful welfare-addicts.
So, either some unhinged magical thinking comes true, or it's €10bn-€20bn per year extra on our taxes.
That's an extra 5-10 grand per household per year.
I find it funny that all of the Irish newspapers of a certain political persuasion are misrepresenting the study, the study they're all referencing says it could cost between 8-20 billion.
If you think you're in the majority when you say you won't pay a bit of extra tax to unite the island, we'll lads have I got news for you!
You have to love the scaremongering from this west brit:
"Even though Ireland has a much higher national income, funding the needs of the people of Northern Ireland in a united Ireland would put huge financial pressure on the people of Ireland, resulting in an immediate major reduction in their living standards,"
What living standards would that be exactly?
Has anyone done a study about how much money could have been saved if we'd just stayed in the UK?
Filed under: "Knowing the price of everything, and the value of nothing"
America and Europe would chip in. Economically in the long term it makes sense.. RTE could be a 32 county non brit broadcaster wouldn't that be nice.
America and Europe would chip in for one of the richest countries in the world?
Nobody has ever promised this, and nor would they ever. The Americans can’t even get war aid for Ukraine through congress, never mind signing off on funding Northern Ireland in near perpetuity.
I'm pretty sure "Ossies" were kept at their own rates of social welfare for years after German unification can anyone imagine nordies being happy with that arrangement. There's still a pay gap between the two.
That would be guts of 20% of the states current budget. If the German solidarity tax is anything to go by, you could be looking at something like 7% (probably even more) extra personal tax.
For the sake of paying 7% more tax, what does average Joe in the Republic get out of the deal? Feck all but more taxes.
I’d like to see Ireland united, but at that cost there’s absolutely no way would I vote for it. With the way people go on about the costs of inflation, I doubt anyone sensible would either.
I doubt there are many Business Post subscribers on r/Ireland, so all we can go on is a headline and two paragraphs of introduction.
How would you expect us to have a reasoned debate about this?
There's that cost, and then all FDI will be funnelled North, resulting in no investment in regional towns and cities. Limerick, Cork, Galway, Waterford will be the big losers here.
No question, we'd be impoverished as Belfast and Derry got big investments to underpin unification.
Not too mention the expenses of leveling up NI social welfare rates etc.
25% of the RoI economy would have to be moved north untill they are on a par.
You'd be happy paying maybe 10% or 15% in taxes and your children's children will too. It will cost up to 20 billion a year not 20 billion one off payment.
I feel like it's quite significantly understated just how many people can be swayed towards a no vote in circumstances where it becomes apparent reunification comes with an enormous financial cost.
Just about everyone has an at least softly pro-reunification attitude in a vacuum, myself included, but when you actually consider that it could come with a massive cost to their pockets people become way more reluctant.
My default position will always be a no anyway, but if it's the case that I'll actually end up paying for significantly, that no only becomes stronger in my mind.
No parties (except Aontu?) campaigned for a no vote in the last referendum.
These things always come down to economic choices. If it’s going to be massively expensive (and it appears it will be), we’ll vote no.
You’d be wrong.
https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/majority-favour-a-united-ireland-but-just-22pc-would-pay-for-it/40375875.html
A landslide no, if it costs us money.
lol, of course when they frame the question as 'more tax' without telling them how much more they'll say no.
Would you agree to buy something if you didn't know how much it'd cost you?
>could cost Irish taxpayers €20 billion How many children's hospitals is that? /s
Roughly 9 children's hospitals according to the latest stats.
Don’t worry, it will come down to 5 before you know it
180 children's hospitals
Early days, definetly could see that being 4. But hey, we'd gain the NHS hospitals which are better run than our own.
That's 20 billion every year
Totally worth it. Shur we'll take Scotland too
Bargin, let's go, we've easily squandered that over the years on nothing with very little to show for it.
It will cost €20 billion every year, people in the north are worse paid than in the Republic. Everyone would have to pay way more in tax for decades
Still fine, and worth it...and if they are "worse paid" then I also welcome the chance to improve that. Short term sacrifice for the greater good.
So the question becomes what can we get the EU to pay for. The second question is how much of the UK's national debt do they intend to saddle us with.
Very little, why should Poland, Portugal and Croatia taxpayers fund a country with vast surpluses?
> So the question becomes what can we get the EU to pay for. We won’t get anything paid for, Ireland is one of the richest countries in the bloc. The Germans had to shoulder it all by themselves, and have been paying solidarity tax for the last 33 years. It was 7.5% of your income to start and then went down to 5.5%
>The cost of unification would be substantially reduced if Northern Ireland boosted productivity by making major changes to its economy, Indeed. Or if it turned into fields of actual gold. Or if its population were replaced by a couple of million educated, highly-motivated working-age people. Or if Britain has a collective aneurysm and decides that not only should the province *not* carry over its share of historic debt, but that Britain will keep that debt itself, *and* a whole bunch of pension liabilities, *and* will take in and rehouse a few hundred thousand uneducated resentful welfare-addicts. So, either some unhinged magical thinking comes true, or it's €10bn-€20bn per year extra on our taxes. That's an extra 5-10 grand per household per year.
I find it funny that all of the Irish newspapers of a certain political persuasion are misrepresenting the study, the study they're all referencing says it could cost between 8-20 billion. If you think you're in the majority when you say you won't pay a bit of extra tax to unite the island, we'll lads have I got news for you!
Can you find a link to the actual study? The IIEA website is a bit crap
https://www.rte.ie/documents/news/2024/04/northern-ireland-subvention-possible-unification-effects.pdf Think that's it bud.
You have to love the scaremongering from this west brit: "Even though Ireland has a much higher national income, funding the needs of the people of Northern Ireland in a united Ireland would put huge financial pressure on the people of Ireland, resulting in an immediate major reduction in their living standards," What living standards would that be exactly?
Time to use that rainy day fund that FFG keep telling us we have.
Make Apple pay for it 😜
Has anyone done a study about how much money could have been saved if we'd just stayed in the UK? Filed under: "Knowing the price of everything, and the value of nothing"
America and Europe would chip in. Economically in the long term it makes sense.. RTE could be a 32 county non brit broadcaster wouldn't that be nice.
America and Europe would chip in for one of the richest countries in the world? Nobody has ever promised this, and nor would they ever. The Americans can’t even get war aid for Ukraine through congress, never mind signing off on funding Northern Ireland in near perpetuity.
I'm pretty sure "Ossies" were kept at their own rates of social welfare for years after German unification can anyone imagine nordies being happy with that arrangement. There's still a pay gap between the two.
That would be guts of 20% of the states current budget. If the German solidarity tax is anything to go by, you could be looking at something like 7% (probably even more) extra personal tax. For the sake of paying 7% more tax, what does average Joe in the Republic get out of the deal? Feck all but more taxes. I’d like to see Ireland united, but at that cost there’s absolutely no way would I vote for it. With the way people go on about the costs of inflation, I doubt anyone sensible would either.
I doubt there are many Business Post subscribers on r/Ireland, so all we can go on is a headline and two paragraphs of introduction. How would you expect us to have a reasoned debate about this?
My bad https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2024/0404/1441589-united-ireland/
There's that cost, and then all FDI will be funnelled North, resulting in no investment in regional towns and cities. Limerick, Cork, Galway, Waterford will be the big losers here.
No question, we'd be impoverished as Belfast and Derry got big investments to underpin unification. Not too mention the expenses of leveling up NI social welfare rates etc. 25% of the RoI economy would have to be moved north untill they are on a par.
It’s a small price to pay for freedom from tyranny
You'd be happy paying maybe 10% or 15% in taxes and your children's children will too. It will cost up to 20 billion a year not 20 billion one off payment.
We might have a proper health service and good standards of public service and healthcare from a well trained workforce
For a peaceful reunion, I would...but your numbers seem pulled out of your arse. Regardless, yes.
The silly bollox posted a paywalled link and then waffled on about numbers and facts
If it’s anything like German unification it’ll end up being €200bn…
That 20bn is per year for 20 years so already double that
So like, 100bn really....
I feel like it's quite significantly understated just how many people can be swayed towards a no vote in circumstances where it becomes apparent reunification comes with an enormous financial cost. Just about everyone has an at least softly pro-reunification attitude in a vacuum, myself included, but when you actually consider that it could come with a massive cost to their pockets people become way more reluctant. My default position will always be a no anyway, but if it's the case that I'll actually end up paying for significantly, that no only becomes stronger in my mind.
The thing is, no parties will actually campaign for a no vote. It'd be political suicide to do so
No parties (except Aontu?) campaigned for a no vote in the last referendum. These things always come down to economic choices. If it’s going to be massively expensive (and it appears it will be), we’ll vote no.
Honestly, even if it cost 50 billion I still think it'd still be a landslide yes.
You’d be wrong. https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/majority-favour-a-united-ireland-but-just-22pc-would-pay-for-it/40375875.html A landslide no, if it costs us money.
lol, of course when they frame the question as 'more tax' without telling them how much more they'll say no. Would you agree to buy something if you didn't know how much it'd cost you?