Is The Dream Of A United Ireland Colliding With Reality?

Would A United Ireland Referendum Create More Problems Than It Solves?

Niall talks to election candidate Eddie Punch about the growing debate over whether the time has come for a referendum on a united Ireland.

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has insisted he is “very aware of every word in the Good Friday Agreement” and says he will abide by it “100%”. His comments follow criticism over remarks made during a visit to Belfast, when he suggested that a referendum on Irish unity was currently “off the table”.

But is he right to believe that now is simply not the time?

Niall and Eddie examine the enormous political, economic and practical questions that would come with reunification. Who would fund Northern Ireland’s public services and healthcare system? What happens to the financial support currently provided by Westminster? What would become of thousands of people employed directly or indirectly by the British state? Would Ireland adopt one currency across the island immediately, and what happens to politically sensitive issues such as the national flag and anthem?

There is also the question of consent. Whatever the result of a referendum, a significant section of the population could feel alienated or betrayed, with concerns that an increasingly heated constitutional debate could inflame community tensions.

So, should the people of Northern Ireland be given the opportunity to vote on their constitutional future, or could holding a border poll now create far more problems than it solves?

Niall discusses it with election candidate Eddie Punch.