What do we need to do to ensure a successful border poll and the realisation of an 800-year-old dream? Well, we have to convince as many of the undecided that the option of a united Ireland will be better than today’s partitioned country. This will involve drawing attention to all sorts of things, like the responsibility and fulfilment in being sufficiently adult to govern your own country. There is a range of other matters like education, infrastructure, wage levels. But research conducted by Prof Brendan O’Leary indicates that the most important factor for most people is…You guessed right. It’s health.
Despite its tattered state, the NHS is loved by many in the North, and I’d include myself in that number. Health treatment that is free at the point of contact is indeed a boon – even though it’s not free but paid for through our taxes. In contrast, when you visit your GP in the South you have to fork out €60. Granted, this doesn’t apply to all children under 8, everyone over 70, qualifying carers, and some people aged 8–69 based on household income.
So you can see the way public health is going in the North and the South. In the North, you’ll be on a waiting list for literally years before you’ll have surgery for a range of ailments. I have a relative who works in the NHS and her constant complaint is that it’s badly managed and, even more important, it’s being deliberately stripped of funds, preparing the way for American firms to come in and run private medicine.
But note: The average life expectancy in the Republic of Ireland is about 83.3 years ; in NEI the average life expectancy is about 78.8 years. The South, despite cries of “Free health” from the North, seems to be able to keep people alive for a lot longer. And ultimately, that really matters to most of us
What about all the PIP benefits people in the North will lose Jude? You can bet that will be played up by Unionists if there ever is a border poll.