Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 October 2012
139. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is concerned about the violence that erupted in north Belfast when members of the PSNI were injured; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39019/12]
View answer140. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on whether enough is being done by the Northern Ireland executive in order to prevent violence in north Belfast reoccurring [39020/12]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 139 and 140 together.
This summer's parades in Northern Ireland were once again marred by outbreaks of violence, most significantly in North Belfast where there were serious disturbances in the Ardoyne on 12 July and in the Carrick Hill/Carlisle Circus area over several evenings in late August and early September. Such violence is totally unacceptable. The disturbances in Carrick Hill/Carlisle Circus resulted in injuries to 65 PSNI officers. I condemn those involved in violence against the police service and I am pleased to note that charges have been brought in a number of cases.
These riots caused serious concerns regarding community relations in advance of the parades commemorating the centenary of the signing of the Ulster Covenant, which took place on Saturday 29 September. In the event, the parades, which involved 208 bands and over 30,000 marchers, passed off without violence, following extensive behind-the-scenes efforts, although several breaches of the Parades Commission determinations were reported to the authorities.
I commend the First Minister and Deputy First Minister for moving quickly to defuse the situation and using their offices to liaise with the various interested parties, as well as the efforts of MLAs, Councillors, the churches and community representatives.
Respect is the key to preventing and resolving violence related to parades and sectarianism, and I applaud efforts to facilitate dialogue between residents and parade organisers. I have discussed this matter with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on a number of occasions since she took up office, and we agreed to work together to support efforts to address division and sectarianism and to help promote the shared future agenda.
I would like to welcome the apology provided by the Royal Black Institution for the incident outside St Patrick’s Church in Carrick Hill on 25 August, and hope that this will clear the way for further progress in relation to parades in Belfast.
Irish Government officials monitored events leading up to the Covenant parade closely and used every opportunity to underline the importance of dialogue and respect. They remained in regular contact with local residents and clergy in advance of the parade, as efforts were made to address residents' concerns. At the request of the residents, the feeder parades were monitored on the ground by my officials. Both the Taoiseach and myself were fully briefed as the situation evolved and I was heartened that the parade passed off peacefully.
It must be recognised that the Parades Commission also played a key role in working to promote a peaceful outcome to the Covenant parade. It continues to work to address the parades issue in a very challenging environment, and it is essential that the determinations of the Parades Commission are respected and upheld as the rule of law.
The scenes of rioting in early September made international headlines and underlined the urgent need to address the root causes of division and sectarianism in Northern Ireland. They also underlined the potential for sectarian acts to destabilise the situation generally and for new flashpoints to emerge. In the absence of a clear strategy to address the causes of division in Northern Ireland, events such as those we have seen in recent weeks risk damaging community relations in general, undermining economic regeneration strategies for Belfast and tarnishing Northern Ireland’s improving international reputation for stability and political progress.
These events underline the importance and urgency at this time of the Northern Ireland Executive delivering on and implementing an agreed Strategy for Cohesion, Sharing and Integration.
