Border poll and Northern Ireland

A chara, – Ed Kelly (June 13th) ably defends the Belfast Agreement and its provision for a peaceful and democratic route to Irish unity.

It may also be worth reminding your readers that Bunreacht na hÉireann was amended on that basis.

However, I part company with Mr Kelly on his contention that a referendum now is pointless because “everyone already knows the answer”.

As well as providing a useful picture of political, social and demographic change in the North, a referendum would also inform those on either side of the debate as to how many citizens they would need to persuade of the merits of their arguments for continued partition or Irish unity.

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Surely that’s democracy in action? – Is mise,

JAMES F HARTNETT,

Falcon’s View,

Blanchardstown, Dublin 15.