WHILE Micheál Martin remains taoiseach, the Irish government will refuse to discuss reunification – much less prepare for a referendum.

Nevertheless, various bodies including universities north and south have been studying what a reunified Ireland would mean for a number of topics.

Obviously the big ticket areas are healthcare, education, taxation, trade, pensions and such like.

Policing is another issue. On Monday in this paper, former Garda Commissioner and ex-PSNI Deputy Chief Constable Drew Harris discussed the prospects for an all-Ireland police service.

Newton Emerson: Stormont again showing talent for dodging difficult decisions

Brian Feeney: Who controls the airwaves in a united Ireland?

One topic which has been largely ignored, but which will have a crucial role in a reunited Ireland, is the electronic media.

On Wednesday, four academics from Ulster University and Dublin City University published research on broadcasting in a reunified Ireland.

They say their work “kick-starts debate”. They conclude that keeping the status quo is “most likely a non-starter”.

Too right it is. What would BBC, Britain’s national broadcaster which transmits a British ethos and world view, be doing in a reunited Ireland? Unsurprisingly, the BBC ignored the research.

© The Irish News