Fitzgerald talks about the British division of Northern and Southern Ireland and the creation of an artificial majority of Protestants. This division increased religious tension between the area's Protestants and Catholics. Later the over-reaction of the British army against the Catholic minority sparked minority support for the IRA, the illegal terrorist group. The economies of both Northern Ireland and the Republic have been sustained due to membership in the European Economic Community. FitzGerald says that the Republic of Ireland seeks a peaceful and just resolution of the conflict in which both segments of the Northern Ireland community work together.