Mr. Michael D'Arcy:

The prism through which I look at the work is perhaps a little different. NIESR involvement is important because it is the first economic institute in London - it is very respected - which is actually trying to break down the UK economy into regional and devolved models. When Senator Blaney referred to engaging. One of the key areas in respect of which those who do not normally engage on these issues should engage is the fact that this is providing knowledge about Northern Ireland's position within the wider UK economy and not just in the context of its connectivity to the Republic. We have to see it in that totality through the prism. There is a real political dimension to that.

Second, the main benefit is it enhances the understanding capacity of policymakers to make good decisions for their place. To date, there has been an awful lack of data and real understanding of how the Northern Ireland economy works, both in the context of the UK and the wider all-island economy. This modelling will help to inform policymakers and political decision-makers better in that regard.

Third - and Mr. O'Brien is being very delicate of course - there is a real knowledge gap in understanding right across the economic and policy community in the North as a consequence of this historic deficit. We have to be really careful in the positioning of this in order to ensure that there is not, dare I say, an instant dismissal because people feel threatened and that, instead, there is an understanding of its value. We are already having conversations with people. Obviously, over the years, I have built up many relationships with people in this arena. There is a real appetite for it behind the scene and a real hope that by talking and working with people we can bring it forward and when it hits in the public domain, there will be a lot of support locally behind it as a consequence. If one adds that to the research the ESRI is doing through the shared island unit, there has never been as much understanding about how the economic situation works. For those members of the committee who have to look at how they will make policy decisions going forward, the real gap is between this knowledge and implementation - how one actually is in a position to make decisions in that regard.

One of things Mr. O'Brien and I were talking about outside afterwards was that the campaign has been very successful. It was always meant to be about the next 25 years as much as about the past 25. We thought that this morning we could perhaps engage with the committee about what I call the forgotten child of the Good Friday Agreement, namely, strand two. We were in Belfast the other day, and many people are talking about so-called direct rule lite in the absence of the Executive, which, of course, we all hope will be put in place. They are talking about it exclusively, and thinking about it in Belfast, pretty much in the context of strand one alone. So where will it be thought about in the context of strand two? I thought that perhaps that is something this committee might explore during the course of the conversation because everything we have touched on already is all about strand two.