The 2021 Global Food Security Index ([here](https://impact.economist.com/sustainability/project/food-security-index/Index)) places Ireland as the best performing country in the world, based on Affordability / Availability / Quality and safety / Natural resources and resilience.
* In Affordability, we placed 2nd in the world, behind our natural enemies – the Danes. The UK placed 4th.
* In Availability, we placed 8th; the UK placed 11th.
* In Quality and safety we placed 3rd (behind Canada and US) while the UK placed 14th.
* For Natural resources and resilience, we placed 3rd. The UK placed 6th.
Also, re. our ‘failed healthcare system’ – The Lancet medical journal released a report in 2017 entitled
> Healthcare Access and Quality Index based on mortality from causes amenable to personal health care in 195 countries and territories, 1990–2015: a novel analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015
Basically a ranking of healthcare systems worldwide, which you can find [here](https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736\(17\)30818-8/fulltext). Ireland placed 13th globally. The UK placed 30th.
The NHS has not been the NHS of legend for many’s a decade now. Give up the ghost – while our system has its problems to be sure, it is *objectively* better than the NHS and has been for a long time. NI trailing the south in terms of infant mortality, cancer survival, even life expectancy. In some parts of the UK, things have gotten so bad it takes *five weeks* to see a GP – people here would be roaring if it took more than a day or two (also ‘free at point of access’ with a GP/Medical card). And the US is making access to British healthcare a condition of the UK’s trade deal – things are not going to get better in that green and pleasant land.
Housing is fucky right now, yeah. Even so, and after a decade of governance that seems determined to turn us all into tenants, the disparity for buyers between the two metro areas is not huge – and you don’t end up with wondering if you bought a Catholic House or a Protestant House, or why your local Community Group are all middle-aged men with beer bellies, tatoos, and a penchant for collecting pallets.
I know that these statistics and expert opinions are but nothing when it comes to the ultimate arbiter of economic modelling – the Lynx Shower Gel Bought In This Shop On This Date Global Affordability Index – but hopefully it will convince at least some of our brothers and sisters in the north that maybe throwing their lot in with us savages in the south is worthy of at least some consideration.
37 comments
And MOST importantly: [A true measure](https://i.imgur.com/BpbCMXD.gif)
EDIT: Can’t believe I wrote ‘an’ instead of ‘a’ in the post title. The whole thing is ruined.
So it’s a competition between Ireland and the UK 🙄
You forgot cheap booze. I’m practically packed and ready to move up north based on the price scrumpy jacks. Of course, my wage will be drastically reduced too but blah details….
Alternatively it might make the Nordies unite with Denmark
The United Ireland question is going to be decided by those who do not have a staunch allegiance to Unionism or Republicanism.
Alot of those on either side have a romanticised version of the UK or a United Ireland. These people will not have Thier minds changed.
This in the middle will look at things like
– Health Care – The options here are two public health systems that have their flaws, but you pay nothing out of pocket for the NHS, while the HSE is highly subsidised. Wait times, Cost and availability will count here.
– Taxes – How much tax do you pay compared to wages, what services do you get for your taxes.
– Employment opportunities – Can Ireland’s success in attracting FDI be continued after a United Ireland, could Belfast become another major hub for multinationals.
– Lynx – Cost of living is important, while to compare prices does not take into account wages, costs of overheads and the fact ASDA can bulk buy on a scale southern companies cannot. People forget that wages are higher here in the south so if the person stocking the shelves in ASDA is getting less money than the person stocking the shelves in SuperValu of course the products will cost more.
– Acceptance – Like it or not there will be Protestant people who may be open to a United Ireland but they will want their culture and traditions respected. That may mean having a discussion about rejoining the commonwealth, which would be largely symbolic, having the 12th as a bank holiday, changing the anthem, flag and how we commemorate our shared history.
I do see a trend emerging among some people that a United Ireland is an opportunity to get those pesky unionists back for centuries of oppression, this cannot happen. We cannot have terrorist groups going around planting bombs again.
Some of these rankings are very subjective and abstract. The Global Food Security Index seems to be based on the opinions of US academics. It is tricky to know if it measure anything.
​
>. In some parts of the UK, things have gotten so bad it takes five weeks to see a GP – people here would be roaring if it took more than a day or two
Yes. The NHS’s free on entry system creates problems, but it is common place for it to take a week to see a GP here. Some surgeries have waiting lists of three weeks.
A united Ireland should and will never be “them” (North of Ireland) joining “us” (Irish state) but must be the formation of an entirely new state with new constitution, new state institutions for governance, health, education, housing, etc., new public transport institutions. The end of the HSE and Dáil Éireann.
Without a fresh start and genuine forward thinking, a united Ireland is a waste. A vote for just joining “us”should never be on the cards so i think your comparison is a bit useless
Maybe we should be looking at why tesco is charging so much more in the south, is it really all to do with tax, insurance, travel costs, or is a lot of it good old ‘treasure island’ mentality, as in we charge at a higher rate because we can get away with it
While I agree the NHS is not what it used to be, it remains an objectively better system than what we have down south – shorter waiting times for almost every procedure and actually free. Unless you qualify for a medical card here (which is astronomically low income) or your wealthy enough to have health insurance your screwed
The biggest economical issue is public expenditure. UK expenditure this year is £15k per person per year in Northern Ireland but there’s a deficit of £10b or more, ie the economy is much smaller. Ireland’s public expenditure is €19k per person but that might not be directly comparable (doing this on my phone in a car).
The closest recent example would be the unifications of Germany. East Germany had 25% the population of west Germany and it took several decades for Germany’s economy to stabilize.
Northern Ireland’s population is 40% of Ireland’s population. Ireland would need to spend another €40b to maintain spending levels.
As for unionists/loyalists, we have to recognize that being recognized as distinct goes both ways. I was born in Northern Ireland but I’m not British. They might be born in Ireland but if they don’t consider themselves Irish we have to accept that.
>you don’t end up with wondering if you bought a Catholic House or a Protestant House,
Instead, we wonder if the council will buy half the estate houses for social housing and the area willl be a living hell anyway
In that Global Food Security Index they define “Quality and Safety” as: “Measures the variety and nutritional quality of average diets, as well as the safety of food.”
I’m surprised that Canada and America were first and second on that list. I would have thought that most European countries would have a better quality diet than America.
It’s not really about the money though is it
Problem with the Irish healthcare system is the frontline services are swamped and underfunded.
As a doc mate of mine always says, get through A&E/past waiting lists and the standard of care you receive is as good as you can get out there. And he’s right.
My wife had a kid recently and it was a sensational service from start to finish. Buildings are a bit run down, but that’s actively being invested in as we speak so can’t beat anyone with that stick too much imo.
It’s like the governments here for the past decade haven’t actually being doing a bad job 
A United Ireland is also not about bolting the 6 onto the 26. That’s a recipe for disaster.
It’s a chance to build a new, progressive Ireland for all and tear away the rot which is afflicting both governments on this island.
Will it take work, aye, it will, but we’re probably the only country at the moment looking at something where we could wipe the slate clean and build something that actually works for the amazing and brilliant people who inhabit this island.
I’m more than happy to put the work in, if my generations legacy could be building a progressive, equal Ireland, then I’m all for it.
Partition is a diseased way of thinking.
Hah! Brilliant!
I’m fairly sure the Lynx thing was light hearted tongue in cheek commentary.
> In some parts of the UK, things have gotten so bad it takes *five weeks* to see a GP – people here would be roaring if it took more than a day or two
This is a bit disingenuous and also not a problem with the NHS itself as GP practices are private businesses.
It *might* be 5 weeks in certain, very limited, circumstances, but if I need to see a GP in the UK I can do so the same day, but in a lot of cases a phone or video call is sufficient.
There is literally a new scandal in the HSE every week. I just googled it there for the craic and “unauthorised organ disposal”, “key baby development checks withdrawn “,”data leaks” came up in most recent stories. Literally constantly in the news.
The NHS is streets ahead of the HSE. They serve 67million people too. Only 5million in Ireland.
HSE costs us far more per person than the NHS and we lack access to basic critical services across the nation,(basically anywhere outside Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway & Waterford). The hospitals that we do have are overcrowded and understaffed. You can be up to 18months on waiting lists to see consultants without private health insurance in Ireland.
I personally know 3 people in Galway City who cant get a GP. They are private. If you have a medical card you havent a hope!. They’d be damn glad to get an appointment in 5 days.
That is all very surprising.
“Quality and Safety
Measures the variety and nutritional quality of average diets, as well as the safety of food.”
America is second on that list. America? The country famous for allowing a certain amount of shit into it’s food?
Having been in an Irish public hospital for an infection that kept me there for a week I just can’t accept that’s a world class service. They ran out of towels and had people drying themselves with bedsheets. Then they ran out of bedsheets.
Last time I called my GP for a consultation she was all booked up for up to 3 weeks. My partner has no GP and when he called around to get an appointment he was told that they no longer take new patients. He used an online GP service to get a consultation instead, on zoom. In Dublin I don’t think we’re far off the 5 week wait time consultation for a GP consultation, unfortunately.
>Give up the ghost – while our system has its problems to be sure, it is objectively better than the NHS and has been for a long time.
Anyone who has lived in both places within the last few years have an opinion on this?
>NI trailing the south in terms of infant mortality, cancer survival, even life expectancy.
Not that you’re necessarily wrong, but these things are all directly related to rates of poverty, which are much higher in NI
B&Q was always a lot more expensive in Ireland compared to the UK even before Brexit.
MODS MODS u/theoldkitbag is bringing Logic and facts into an argument….ON REDDIT??!!!!
Ban him please.
Ya fuck that index it’s wrong . Just cause someone makes an index doesn’t make it right
The Brits love to tell us NI is a drain, we’d be paying to take it in… which is fuxking insane. If ireland can work, NI can work. No reason it can’t be as profitable as the Republic.
But in the event of a united Ireland we might get their club card points.
How is America placing so high on food quality and safety?
And the fact that were sound and they smell like farts.
The food security is on the way out if Monbiot gets his way.
Another Brit circlejerk. Move on. You need validation from your neighbours?
I’ve spoken to many a unionist who truly believe the Irish healthcare system is American-style.
“Oh but the NHS! You’d go bankrupt breaking your arm in Ireland!!”
I paid 7 euro for a sandwich, packet of crisps and a bottle of water. I thought the cashier was gonna bend me over there and then to interfere with me even more
This shits already gotta be fake. US 1st on food quality and safety? Load of shite.
Anyone who tried to defend the HSE has obviously never had their cancer patient mother wait 12 hours on a hard plastic chair in St James’s to see a doctor only to be told they would have to wait another 12 hours before they just went home in agony rather than sit there, uncomfortable with no water or food.
So therefore anyone who defends the HSE is full of shite and any other metrics they throw out are too.
And that’s my ted talk for today!