Sir, – Brian Callanan (Letters, Oct 26th) endorses Northern Ireland Minister Steve Baker’s call for a “super majority” of 60 per cent to be required for a united Ireland, as a means of ensuring consensus for any constitutional change.
The Good Friday agreement provides for a simple majority as the determinant of such change.
The agreement was endorsed by 71.12 per cent of the population of Northern Ireland by referendum in 1998, effectively establishing a super majority in favour of the principle of a simple majority applying to a Border poll.
This pragmatic compromise endorses another key principle of the agreement – parity of esteem.
Workcations: Enjoy better weather and lower expenses without using up your annual leave
Women keep changing their surnames to match their husbands’. Why are we normalising this symbolic control?
As Caoimhín Kelleher is primed for a £40m transfer, which other Irish players could move?
New Harry Potter series: meet the new Harry, Hermione and Ron for HBO show
Should a future Border poll find support for a united Ireland exceeds 40 per cent, then a super majority would have failed to have been achieved for the status quo.
This would imply one constitutional arrangement requires a super majority, while the other doesn’t.
A simple majority, as democratically endorsed, is the fairest way to determine the issue. – Yours, etc,
STEPHEN WALL,
Rialto,
Dublin 8
