Irish Examiner view: Irish unity may have serious long-term cost impact

It is striking to note that a united Ireland, long considered an ideological aspiration, is now becoming a subject considered for fiscal evaluation

The Republic of Ireland has financial commitments in the North, aimed at improving infrastructure.

A financial report from the Institute of International and European Affairs has shouldered its way into the headlines with some sobering estimates of the cost of a united Ireland.

The report suggests that unification would cost the Republic €20bn every year for 20 years, an expense on such a scale as to require an increase in taxation of around 25% or a significant reduction in expenditure. Or both.