Economics of peace - Concessions to North are a lesser cost

ANOTHER relatively minor but very significant step towards turning the hatreds of the past into the opportunities of the future takes place today when the North’s assembly resumes after the summer break.

Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness are still at the helm and the hopes of nearly everyone in the 32 counties of this country are that they will succeed in working together to turn a stunted and divided part of Ireland into a vibrant region with a thriving economy.

All of those involved know that all their compromises and the thousands of funerals of the past three decades will stand for nothing unless there is an economic dividend that can be shared by all of the population.