Some 500 new call-centre jobs are still in the balance and could go to Northern Ireland in the weeks ahead, representing an early bonus on the peace talks. The US computer giant IBM, which already employs 500 at a Dublin customer call-centre, is considering a similar operation north of the Border, industry sources say. The company's main concern is said to be whether or not it can find enough speakers of foreign languages to staff such an operation. Usually, finding local people with a sufficient command of popular languages does not pose a problem. But because those who can work in secondary languages are harder to find, international companies try to attract native speakers to re-locate.

The North's Industrial Development Board would not comment on the bid to attract IBM. If Northern Ireland succeeds in landing the operation against competition from several English cities, it would represent a new departure for the call centre sector.