Sectarianism and division in Northern Ireland could be costing up to £1.5 billion annually, according to a report commissioned by the Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister but yet to be officially published by the Rev Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness's office.
The report, which points to sectarianism causing a huge financial drain on the British exchequer, was obtained by the Alliance Party under freedom of information legislation.
The additional costs of security in policing a divided society, together with the costs of Catholic and Protestant housing and education, and the costs related to other areas of division, could amount to £1.5 billion, about 8 per cent of the overall cost of running Northern Ireland.
The report was commissioned by the Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister before the new powersharing Northern Executive was agreed and formed in early May.
It is for the Executive to officially release the document. This was delayed because the Executive did not fully appraise the report before the summer recess, it is understood.
The study was carried out by consultants Deloitte in consultation with Northern Executive departments and the PSNI.
The authors of the Costs Of Division report acknowledge that it is difficult to disentangle what is the true cost of sectarianism in Northern Ireland, and say that the £1.5 billion figure is at the top end of the estimated scale.
Alliance Party leader David Ford said the report vindicated what Alliance had been saying over recent years. "There are huge opportunities lost by having so much public money tied up in division.
"If the Executive fails to act people will judge it as a huge missed opportunity to make a real difference for all the people of Northern Ireland," said Mr Ford.
However, Sinn Féin Assembly member Martina Anderson "rubbished" the report, saying it was originally commissioned by former Northern secretary Peter Hain "to dilute the equality agenda".
Ms Anderson said the report should not form the basis of any policy-making within the Northern Executive.
