Single currency would benefit a united Ireland - Tánaiste

Tánaiste and Minister for Finance Simon Harris has said a united Ireland operating within a single currency would bring a number of benefits to the island.

He was speaking in the Dáil during a debate on the fiscal implications of a united Ireland.

Mr Harris said the euro would represent an important structural advantage to reunification.

"Operating within a single currency would eliminate exchange rate risk, reduce transaction costs for businesses and consumers, and simplify cross-border trade and investment," he told the chamber.

The Tánaiste also said constitutional change would create an opportunity for Northern Ireland to join the EU Single Market for services. He said this would provide businesses across the island with "seamless access to one of the world's largest integrated market services".

Mr Harris said that while people can already move freely across the border - employers, education providers and workers continue to navigate different regulatory systems, qualifications, tax arrangements and employment frameworks.

He said a united Ireland would also support more coherent investment in education, apprenticeships and lifelong skills across the entire island.

Mr Harris said the ability for State bodies to operate across the entire island would allow agencies to plan and deliver on an all-island basis, rather than duplicating effort or working within jurisdictional constraints.

"None of this suggests that transition would be without significant cost or complexity. It would require careful planning, sustained investment and responsible fiscal management. But fiscal analysis must capture both sides of the ledger," he said.

"That is why the fiscal debate should not be framed solely around what we inherit. It should also be framed around what we are capable of building together - north and south," he added

Mr Harris said it was important that issues surrounding reunification begin to be examined now.

"Preparing for the future means understanding the economic, fiscal and societal implications of all possible futures, including the prospect of a united Ireland," he said.

He said any future constitutional change would have to be underpinned by rigorous analysis, responsible financial and policy planning and a clear understanding of how it would impact the lives of people on the island.

He said public services, healthcare outcomes, pensions, taxation, infrastructure, housing, education and economic competitiveness had to be at the very centre of any informed discussion about Ireland's future.