Before the Vote : Planning for a united Ireland

This book responds to the changed political context on the island of Ireland where a vote on Irish unity has become a probability in the medium term. Its aim is to frame what needs to be known before the vote takes place. It analyses public policy divergence North and South, the resulting gap in incomes, standards of living and welfare outcomes and charts probable paths for policy and economic integration in a united Ireland.

The UK's departure from the European Union threatened a hard border on the island of Ireland, aggravated social and political tensions and undermined key aspects of the 1998 peace agreement. Consequently a vote on Irish unity now seems more likely than at any other point since the foundation of the Irish state. Before the Vote responds to this new political reality, focusing on what needs to be understood by the public before a referendum takes place.

Drawing on new research, John Doyle analyses the economic conditions and policy frameworks in the two parts of the island of Ireland; comparing gaps in living standards, education, welfare systems, gender equality and health. The findings counter previous inaccurate perceptions of the comparative positions of the North and South and the economic relationship between Northern Ireland and the British state. From this foundation the book looks to the future, exploring how a referendum might be called and managed, how the pre-referendum debates and planning should be structured, and the legal and political processes necessary to create a united Ireland. It traces the processes of policy and economic integration in a new united Ireland and provides projections of possible economic outcomes. It concludes with a reflection on potential political structures for the new state, and on policy areas, including security and defence, that have so far not featured in public debates on unity.