There wouldn't be a huge benefit to Irish customers either, particularly since the change to 230 V and it is a legal requirement to fit IS 401/A (BS1363/A) plugs to all appliences sold here even if the odd schuko or europlug slips through the net.
It just seems rather ridiculous that Europe has so many versions of something so simple.
On another point:
I never have quite understood the argument that BS1363 is bulky, moulded on BS1363 plugs are pretty much the same size as their schuko equivilants. The only problem excess bulk is the lack of a 2-pin version due to the shuttering system.
Although the UK and Ireland do have some standards that are much more seriously different e.g. Driving on the opposite side of the road to the rest of the EU.
EU standardisation of Phone/Modem plugs isn't such a big deal as generally, since GSM/GPRS and 3G mobiles have arrived no one uses the fixed system while traveling. I can't see why the EU doesn't just adopt a single standard for that though. RJ 11 is perfectly acceptable in most systems although the EU could come up with something a little less fiddly.
