Madam, - Your Editorial of October 28th concerning the development of "a truly all-island economy" is welcome. As you point out, this has the potential to create many social and economic benefits for the island of Ireland.
However, one of the major challenges facing such an all-island economy is regional development and the rebalancing of the economic focus from the east of the island. In the context of the Northern Ireland economy this must mean towards the North-West.
In an interview on Newstalk 106 last Wednesday morning, Dr Ed Walshe proposed the development of a new "city" in the Newry-Dundalk area. Although this is a very interesting concept and one which certainly makes a valuable contribution to the debate, the market already appears to be addressing the economic upturn in this region. The governments of this island should instead be focusing on the challenge of creating a "city" in the Derry-Letterkenny-Strabane area and developing an alternative growth centre.
It should not be forgotten that Donegal has a land border of 140km, only 9km of which is with the Republic, and that the coastline of the county is almost two-thirds the length of Northern Ireland's. It is no coincidence therefore, that with such a close relationship to Northern Ireland, Donegal has the highest level of disadvantage across a wide range of socio-economic indicators.
Are any of the mainstream political parties on the island brave enough to address the real socio-economic challenge of "a truly all-island economy" - or will the electoral strength of the east win again? - Yours, etc,
PADDY HARTE Jnr, Kiltoy, Letterkenny, Co Donegal.