Sir,– Noel Whelan's column about the increasing possibility of a united Ireland makes no mention of the effect that Irish unity would have on the South, especially in terms of the culture shock and the enormous financial costs of unity. ("Prospect of united Ireland is no longer fanciful", March 10th.)
Many people in the South have been happy to support unity as a theoretical concept but the reality of unity is quite a different matter. Income tax would have to increase substantially, maybe by as much as 10 cent in the euro, to allow the North to continue enjoying the subsidies it currently enjoys from the British exchequer.
My fear of unity also emanates from the continued success of the more extreme political parties in the North and the repeated failure of the moderate parties to have any impact in elections there. What effect would such a large number of extreme views have on the stability of Southern society?
It is time that the views of those of us who are wary of Irish unity were listened to by all political parties North and South. – Yours, etc,
AOIFE LORD,
Tankardstown, Co Meath.