Rose Conway Walsh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

At the outset today, I extend my condolences to the family of William Trevor and to acknowledge the wonderful work he did in highlighting serious issues in our country.I say it particularly given that I am from the place. I was an extra in "The Ballroom of Romance", which was made in Ballycroy, County Mayo, although Glenfarne in County Leitrim would like to claim responsibility for it. William Trevor was responsible for my first pay cheque. We all received £18 per day. To a small, rural parish such as Ballycroy, it meant a lot. William Trevor examined serious issues such as the issues of rural Ireland. He must be commended on the wonderful contribution he made to literature and Ireland as a whole.

I return to the Leader's favourite topic, namely, economics. I raise the issue highlighted by my colleague, the Minister for Finance and Personnel in the Northern Executive, Máirtín Ó Muilleoir, in a recent article for thejournal.ie. I am pleased that a debate surrounding Irish unity has moved to a real discussion on the ongoing cost of partition. It is no longer as simple as asking whether we can afford unity. The debate is on whether we can afford continuing partition. Some of the myths, such as that it costs Britain £24 billion to maintain the Six Counties, are being challenged. This oft-quoted figure ignores spend on national security, British capital depreciation and the taxes levied on revenue raised in the North but booked in London. A recently published and peer-reviewed study modelling Irish reunification, by Professor Kurt Huebner of Vancouver University, examined the potential benefits of reunification. It is estimated that the island could benefit by up to €35 billion in the first years after Irish unity.