INTEGRATION Minister Conor Lenihan wants proficiency in English to be a prerequisite for residency, the issuing of work permits and, ultimately, Irish citizenship for people entering the country. He has even suggested the provision of English language courses for immigrants.

HOW gratifying it is to see Tony Blair step into a new role as envoy to the Middle East.

EFFORTS to broker agreement among political parties in the North, in my view, are stumbling inexorably towards collapse and, all things considered, this need not necessarily be the worst possible outcome.

THE Northern political parties have been given until November to resolve their differences in the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement.

IN all of the reporting, commentary and analysis I’ve encountered so far on the recent IRA announcement, a lot of the focus has been on the (apparently) lukewarm response from unionist politicians, and the DUP in particular.