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TWO-THIRDS OF people from the Republic of Ireland would like to see a United Ireland in their lifetime, but it’s a different story north of the border.
The results are part of a joint RTÉ-BBC TV production screened this evening that show very similar viewpoints between people in Northern Ireland and the Republic on many issues, except Irish unity.
Compared to 66% in the Republic, 30% of people in Northern Ireland said they wanted a United Ireland in their lifetime. Among those surveyed in Northern Ireland from a Catholic background, 57% answered Yes and 29% answered Don’t know.
In the Republic, the overall support for a reunited Ireland dropped to 31% “if it meant paying more tax”.
People both north and south of the border were less likely to favour reunification in the short to medium term, but it was still the most favoured single option among people in the Republic.
The other three together though, represented a larger proportion favouring Northern Ireland remaining in the United Kingdom in the short to medium term.
Social issues
The Behaviour and Attitudes survey, conducted by face-to-face interviews with over 2,000 people, also looked at a number of social issues.
On abortion, results on both sides of the border were strikingly similar. It found that 22% of respondents in the Republic and 23% in Northern Ireland said abortion should be available in all circumstances.
On the question of whether abortion should be available in some circumstances, 64% in the Republic supported this with a figure of 56% in Northern Ireland.
This week same-sex marriage was again blocked in Northern Ireland, making it the only part of Ireland and Britain where it is outlawed, but tonight’s survey suggests that people in Northern Ireland support the concept.
The DUP MLA Arlene Foster was grilled on this issue by BBC presenter Stephen Nolan, who asked her several times whether she would attend the (hypothetical) same-sex marriage of one of her children.
Despite his efforts, Foster refused to answer in the affirmative or negative.
Tonight’s joint production by RTÉ’s Prime Time and the BBC Nolan Show was conducted as part of RTÉ’s 1916 commemorations.
Those surveyed were asked about 1916 and found that almost three quarters of those surveyed in the Republic believe that the 1916 Leaders played a very or fairly positive role in our history compared to only 25% in Northern Ireland.
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But if Apple developed a car would it have windows??!
Windows would be called i-screens
Hope they use those Tesla engineers to create a phone battery that lasts more than 8 hours first.
I recently got two full days from my iPhone 6′s battery.
It was turned off
I hope they don’t use apple maps
Use your iphone to open your car,
Great, so now when someone robs your phone they get your car too…..
How do you “rob” a phone? Cut it open and steal the components?
I’ll get your coat Jake.
As long as you don’t rob it. There is stuff in the pockets!
We should never invent anything new in case it gets stolen.
Someone stole the Internet once.
People will steal anything.
“They” steal everything that’s not nailed down, and if it’s nailed down, “they” steal the nails as well
If Google make their own car they could call it Google Drive…
;D
They could make it a van and stuff it full of documents.
That wasn’t funny. Had to thumb it down myself.
Well at least you had the good sense to thumb it down.
OMG… What a dreadful thought. I honestly can’t think of anything worse for more reasons than I can express. I can see Apple suing Ford for also having a vehicle with a wheel at each corner and Toyota for having Glass in the windows… And can you imagine an iCar that will only let you drive it to where Apple thinks you should go, only lets you put Apple fuel in it, and force feeds you scrappy U2 music at random… And don’t even get get me started on the truly woeful navigation system it will all run on…. We’re doomed.
fantastic company
Used to be but as they discovered before. No jobs no chance
The iCar chooses your destination for you from a list of Apple-approved destinations…
Someone should tell apple it is illegal to touch your phone whilst driving.
So on one hand we have a company that released all of its patents in order to facilitate the development of this technology, and on the other we have a company that aggressively buys up patent holding companies in order to bring massive lawsuits against its competitors in order the tighten it’s stranglehold on the market. Oh yeah. Super news…
the begrudgary here is top notch.
I was at the launch of the original iPod in ireland and listened to a lot of people in the room laugh afterwards and saying that apple shouldn’t get involved in the personal entertainment business etc. I can’t say that I was overly impressed with the iPod originally but it has changed the playing field massively.
but anyway ..the same predictable jokes about apple / android / samsung / microsoft must just get funnier the more the same people post them on every tech related story.
The Floor count of the United Nations Building.
Let them waste millions on the driverless cars.
Stupid idea. Literally accidents waiting to happen. Then they get sued.
Be better off focusing on jet packs instead.
Well I hope they don’t allow the car version of the OS to get as bloated and slow as iOS after each release.
Very frustrating on an iPad, but a potentially lethal irritation in a car.
Apple using Tesla people to try out their software in cars. Only a matter of time before they do “iCars”. Before iPhone they tested out iTunes on Motorola phones and that was a success , hence iPhone.
have your say