'But what about the NHS?'... Is health service here still an argument against a united Ireland?

But given the current health crisis in the north, including the barriers to access and the shocking waiting times, is that really a valid argument any more?

The NHS was and is an incredible project that has saved and continues to save millions of lives, including my own, and which has protected generations of people living in reduced circumstances. Those able to work pay for it through National Insurance.

But even senior health figures in the north now admit that the service is broken and needs radical investment and reform. That so many people here are having to fork out or borrow hefty sums for private treatment or face years on a waiting list underlines that.

The health care system in the south is also facing extreme pressures and challenges. There, many people have to pay to see a doctor or for medical care, while some medical cards and free GP cards are issued to those on the lowest incomes. But median wages and employment rates are much higher in the south, where life expectancy is noticeably longer, so more people can afford to pay.

And would it automatically follow that the north would have to adopt the models and practices of the south in a reunited Ireland? There is an argument to be made for a new national model whereby an Ireland-wide NHS-type access for all system is introduced, publicly funded, future proofed and fully staffed. Now that would be the envy of the world.

It will be up to the health sector and politicians here to argue that case when the time comes.