Dublin December 3 2022: Northern Ireland would be decisively against a united Ireland if there was a vote on the issue, according to an Ipsos opinion poll for a new research project into North-South relations and The Irish Times.
Half of people surveyed in Northern Ireland said they would vote to remain in the UK if there were to be a referendum, while 27% said they would vote to unify with the Republic of Ireland. 18% of people said they didn’t know, according to the newspaper.
In a simultaneous poll in the Republic of Ireland, 66% said they’re in favor of a united Ireland, while 16% wanted Northern Ireland to remain in the UK. 13% were unsure, The Irish Times said.
The UK has retained control of the six provinces of Northern Ireland since the southern part of the island won independence a century ago, but set out the terms on which reunification could take place in the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.
Only the UK can call a ballot in Northern Ireland and only if it seems likely that voters would choose reunification. A referendum would then need to be held south of the border.
In Northern Ireland, those of a Catholic background, who are traditionally seen as being more nationalist, were most in favor of unity, though 21% of those polled said they would be against it and 22% were undecided. The strongest opposition to unity was among those of a Protestant background (78%), according to the Irish Times.
More than three quarters of voters (76%) in the Republic are in favor of a border poll being held, with a majority preferring it within five years, according to the report. Over half (55%) of Northern voters want a referendum, though most would like it within 10 years, the newspaper said.
The polls were carried out north and south of the border among more than 1,000 voters in August and September of this year.
