‘A New Ireland – A Five Year Review’ is a newly published book, authored by Paul Gosling, that considers what progress has been made in preparation for a potential referendum on the constitutional future of Northern Ireland.
Northern Ireland is governed by Stormont – except Stormont has been down for 40% of its history since the Good Friday Agreement 27 years ago. Even when Stormont and its Executive meet, the relationships are dysfunctional. The North has a health system that struggles to survive, marked by excessively long waiting lists and waiting times. The education system is dogged by division, delineated by class, with lots of school pupils let down, marginalised, leaving school early.
Can Stormont be reformed and made workable? Would the retention of Stormont within a united Ireland change this? Are the divisions baked into a system that perpetuates conflict by non-violent means?
Meanwhile, there are signs of increasing frustration and disinterest at Westminster, with ever more voters indicating their priorities are within Britain (especially England), with little affinity towards Northern Ireland. For many, Belfast, Derry and the rest are places of which they have heard, yet know nothing. Opinion polling suggests Irish unity might be met by indifference in Britain.
Demographic change has meant the old certainties of Protestant and unionist dominance of Stormont have disappeared. Sinn Fein holds the role of First Minister and unionism appears frustrated and at times confused about its future.
The green fields of the South seem, to many, ever more appealing – higher pay, higher productivity, higher welfare benefits, but also higher costs of living. So is unity the future? Are enough preparations being made for a referendum? ‘A New Ireland – A Five Year Review’ examines what has been done and suggests what needs to happen next.
“While not inevitable, in the aftermath of Brexit, referendums on Irish Unity as provided for in the Good Friday Agreement, have become much more likely. If we do not prepare for that possibility well in advance of any vote, the outcome, whatever it is, will be a disaster. This book is a major contribution to placing the necessary research and analysis into the public realm to facilitate informed public debate.”
Professor John Doyle
Vice President for Research
Dublin City University
To purchase:
https://www.colmcillepress.com/product-page/a-new-ireland-a-five-year-review