Vol. 502 No. 3
147 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of families which have moved out of the Garvaghy Road and the Craigwell area of Portadown, County Armagh; the number rehoused by the Housing Executive or receiving assistance from the Northern Ireland Office from 1996 to 1998 and to date in 1999; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7739/99]
148 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number and types of legal parades which took place in Portadown, County Armagh, from March 1998 to March 1999; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7740/99]
149 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number and type of marches that took place in Portadown, County Armagh, from March 1998 to March 1999; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7741/99]
150 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the frequency of the need for RUC officers to be present at a nationalist interface from June 1998 to March 1999 at either Craigwell or Garvaghy Road, Portadown, County Armagh; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7742/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 147, 148, 149 and 150 together.
The questions posed by the Deputy have been raised by the Department of Foreign Affairs through the framework of the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference. The British authorities have provided the following information.
In connection with the frequency of parades, the British authorities have advised that between March 1998 and 21 March 1999 there were 151 parades in Portadown RUC sub-division. Of this number, 115 were legally held and 36 were illegally held. The vast majority of these parades were loyalist parades.
With regard to the level and frequency of the police presence in the area, the British side have advised that an RUC presence has been maintained in the general Garvaghy Road area since 29 June 1998 and that a static RUC presence has been maintained at Craigwell Avenue.
The chief executive of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive has advised that it can only provide information about the number of families who would have moved out of the Garvaghy Road and the Craigwell areas of Portadown based on approaches made to it to buy houses from those families or to provide them with alternative accommodation. This type of information is held by the executive on a financial year basis.
The information sought in connection with housing is, therefore, as follows:
|
1 April 1996-31 March 1998 |
1 April 1998-15 March 1999 |
|
|
Number moved out* |
nil |
9 |
|
Number re-housedby the Executive: |
None as there are no executive tenants in Garvaghy Road and Craigwell areas. |
151 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the desire of many people forced into exile by paramilitary organisations to return to Ireland; and the plans, if any, he has to get commitments from former paramilitaries that these will not be molested on their return. [7883/99]
I am conscious of the plight of those from both communities who have been forced into exile by threats from paramilitary organisations, and I empathise fully with their wish to return to their home areas. They should never have been forced to leave.
The Government has at all times, in its contacts with parties associated with paramilitary groups, emphasised the need to adhere to the principles of non-violence and democracy as enshrined in the Good Friday Agreement. Involvement in any form of violent threats is simply incompatible with the terms and spirit of the Agreement.
I again urge all those with influence in this area to help put an immediate end to threats against individuals who wish to return to their home areas. I hope that, in the new context created by the Good Friday Agreement, society will be finally freed from these unacceptable practices.
