In the next four years, it plans to provide all its citizens with a national identity number.
VOA: standard.2009.09.24
The unique identitynumber aims to equip people with one unimpeachable, portable nationalidentity aimed at helping the poor to access state welfare, open bank accounts and protect them from rampant police harassment.
But after weeks of controversy about flags and nationalidentity, politicians' claims about Catholic unionism, and a census showing a growing number identifying themselves as Northern Irish, what lies behind that headline figure in the Spotlight opinion poll is particularly revealing.