A United Ireland. Opening up the discussion.

[Applesisapples]

So the South doesn't get billions of the EU? I remember Albert Reynolds well over 20 years ago boasting of the £8bn package he'd negotiated with the EU. Up to then the whole of Cavan was notorious for potholes

What is the issue here Tony other than you winding up our fellow countrymen.

[BennyCake]

The point is that without EU subventions the South would still be an exporter of people and very little else.Less than 10 years ago it went bust,it has no sovereignty over its laws,immigration etc.It is in thrall to a neighbouring island's decision to leave the EU.These are not the hallmarks of a truly independent self financing nation.

Don't get me wrong.I admire the innovation down South (Ryanair etc) and the ability to get things done,but it is not a truly independent nation sadly.

No nation can be in the EU and be independent at the same time. The sooner the Irish government realise that and tell the EU to get fcuked, the better.

[Applesisapples]

There are no truly independent nations anymore we are all interdependent.

[Franko]

The point is that without EU subventions the South would still be an exporter of people and very little else.Less than 10 years ago it went bust,it has no sovereignty over its laws,immigration etc.It is in thrall to a neighbouring island's decision to leave the EU.These are not the hallmarks of a truly independent self financing nation.

Don't get me wrong.I admire the innovation down South (Ryanair etc) and the ability to get things done,but it is not a truly independent nation sadly.

Your first point is just an opinion.  I guarantee you've got no facts to back this up (barring a link to some news news article about a road being built somewhere).

The rest of what you say would apply absolutely equally to ANY other EU nation.  By your logic, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, The Netherlands etc etc. are all non-sovereign states.  More tosh.

[armaghniac]

The ROI is as self governing as Austria, Italy, Belgium, Latvia, Bulgaria,   Lithuania, Croatia, Luxembourg, Cyprus,   Malta, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Denmark, Poland, Estonia,    Portugal, Finland, Romania, France, Slovakia, Germany, Slovenia, Greece, Spain, Hungary, Sweden.

Which is pretty much the majority of civilised places in the World. We could be like North Korea, but I'd rather not.

[playwiththewind1st]

Dunno about that.......we could certainly give the Japs a fair bit to think about, if we start whizzing rockets over their heads daily as well.

[Rossfan]

BennyCake would seem to be all for becoming another North Korea.

[vallankumous]

No nation can be in the EU and be independent at the same time. The sooner the Irish government realise that and tell the EU to get fcuked, the better.

Independence is always fluid.

[armaghniac]

No nation can be in the EU and be independent at the same time. The sooner the Irish government realise that and tell the EU to get fcuked, the better.

Independence is always fluid.

The whole point of being independent is so that you can do things which benefit you, including joining the EU.

[seafoid]

No nation can be in the EU and be independent at the same time. The sooner the Irish government realise that and tell the EU to get fcuked, the better.

Independence is always fluid.

The whole point of being independent is so that you can do things which benefit you, including joining the EU.

I think the EU is okay Under a system that works for workers such as  Keynesianism. Under a plutocracy it is dangerous
the EU doesn't have bank recap or a lender of last resort. the people who designed it didn't think they would require a fire brigde.

[vallankumous]

Independence is always fluid.

The whole point of being independent is so that you can do things which benefit you, including joining the EU.
[/quote]

Firstly you need to decide what level of independence you want.
The Brits are struggling with this at the minute. They decided on Brexit towards further independence before they decided how much or how little further they wanted.

[heganboy]

The point is that without EU subventions the South would still be an exporter of people and very little else.Less than 10 years ago it went bust,it has no sovereignty over its laws,immigration etc.It is in thrall to a neighbouring island's decision to leave the EU.These are not the hallmarks of a truly independent self financing nation.

Don't get me wrong.I admire the innovation down South (Ryanair etc) and the ability to get things done,but it is not a truly independent nation sadly.

Yo genius, give me an example of a "of a truly independent self financing nation."

[Eamonnca1]

No nation can be in the EU and be independent at the same time. The sooner the Irish government realise that and tell the EU to get fcuked, the better.

Independence is always fluid.

The whole point of being independent is so that you can do things which benefit you, including joining the EU.

I think the EU is okay Under a system that works for workers such as  Keynesianism. Under a plutocracy it is dangerous
the EU doesn't have bank recap or a lender of last resort. the people who designed it didn't think they would require a fire brigde.

Isn't this the ECB for the Eurozone and the national central banks for non-Eurozone members?

[T Fearon]

There is no escaping the following

1.Without membership of or subordination to the Uk and EU respectively,neither NI or ROI are viable economic entities.

2.In return for that membership/subordination neither NI or ROI has the autonomy to make its own laws (to serve as a priority its own people), to control its own borders (and shortly to prevent the imposition of a border in Ireland that no substantial portion of the people North and South,want),and in the case of ROI,doesn't even have its own national currency.

[armaghniac]

There is no escaping the following

1.Without membership of or subordination to the Uk and EU respectively,neither NI or ROI are viable economic entities.

Membership and subordination are not the same thing. It is a bit like saying that people can live in families or can be owned as slaves.
I am a member of the GAA as are many people posting here.