A United Ireland will be ‘like a financial millstone around our necks,’ with all of us facing higher taxes to pay for it, Ciara Kelly has warned.

A new ESRI study has found that around 80% of households in the North receive more in benefits than they pay in tax.

In the Republic, that figure sits at around 60%.

On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, Ciara Kelly said the first thing she thought of when she saw the data is what it would mean for a United Ireland.

“I am fully aware that I am what ardent Republicans call a partitionist,” she said.

“That means that I have fully accepted the border; I have fully accepted that Northern Ireland exists as an entity in his own right.

“Whilst I am reasonably OK with the idea of the United Ireland - I don't have anything against a United Ireland - it's not something that I particularly care about in a passionate way, nor do I feel like I'll get some feeling of, ‘Oh, this is wonderful if we're all united again.’”

A sign at the edge of a road near the border, 02-06-2018. Image: Alamy

She said the ESRI data reminded her of the recent Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA) report that warned that uniting Ireland "would put huge financial pressure" on people in the Republic, resulting in "an immediate major reduction in living standards".

“It's going to cost us billions and billions and billions to unite with Northern Ireland,” she said. “They are going to be a financial millstone around our neck.”

“Many people, I accept, out there this morning listening, will say, ‘It's worth it, Four Green Fields’ and all that – but to me, do I want to be, personally, at this point in my life and my children at this point in their lives, sort of impoverished in order to do it?

“No, I don't.”

Shane Coleman in the Newstalk studio. Image: Newstalk

Fellow presenter Shane Coleman said there would also be economic benefits to uniting – but agreed that ending partition will be expensive.

He said the most important thing is to ensure people understand the potential implications before asking them to vote.

“I would like to see a United Ireland but it doesn't really matter whether I think it's worth it or not,” he said.

“What really matters is that we actually have a proper discussion about it and we go into it with our eyes open.

“So, we don't just say, ‘Let's have a referendum’ – because we do need to discuss these issues.

“There is no question there would be an increase in tax here. There’s absolutely no doubt about that.”

'It's not worth it'

Ciara said she just doesn’t believe it is worth it.

“To me, I don't want to pay another 8% in tax,” she said.

“I don't want to be, as I say, I'm in my 50s, I could be broke for the rest of my life if we unite Ireland.”

She said she does not want the financial outlay and she also believes people in the south would have to embrace unionist traditions that she doesn’t particularly want to embrace.

“So, for me, it’s not worth it but I accept that I may be in a total minority,” she said.

The ESRI report was released as part of a research programme involving the Department of the Taoiseach's Shared Island Unit.