Vol. 542 No. 2
104 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has taken steps to express to the British authorities his concern at the treatment of children attending the Holy Cross primary school in Ardoyne, Belfast; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21439/01]
The protest directed at young school children and their parents as they make their way to and from Holy Cross primary school in Ardoyne has now entered its seventh week. Over the course of the protest, these children have been subjected to appalling physical and verbal abuse, sectarian taunting and intimidation. On 5 September, a blast-bomb was thrown at the children as they walked up to the school. Each day, they have needed the protection of a large number of police officers, some of whom have been injured in the course of their work, and whom we commend.
No civilised society can tolerate a situation whereby school children, some as young as four years of age, are treated in this disgraceful fashion. Let me be very clear about this – these protests are wrong. No grievance, real or perceived, can justify such protests or the dreadful behaviour of the protesters towards these children. Whatever the concerns of the Glenbryn protesters, whatever problems may exist between the Glenbryn and Ardoyne communities, there can be no justification for a protest directed against young children. They are not the cause of such problems. This is not a legitimate form of protest. The protest at Holy Cross School should stop immediately.
These children have the right to go to school in safety and peace, without having to face abuse or intimidation. The parents have the right to ensure their children's education. The rights of the children are sacrosanct in this dispute.
Hopes that a resolution was in sight were raised last week when direct dialogue took place between the Ardoyne parents and Glenbryn residents. These talks have not, as yet, resulted in an end to the protests. I urge local elected and community representatives in both Glenbryn and Ardoyne to redouble their efforts in the coming days to facilitate inter-community dialogue and local agreement. No community interest is served by violence, by fomenting sectarianism or by targeting young children.
I have raised the Government's grave concerns about the protest at the Holy Cross school with the Secretary of State on a number of occasions. My officials have also been in ongoing contact with the British authorities since the protest started. We have been assured that the security forces will continue to provide protection to the children and parents on a daily basis for as long as the protests continue. We have also been kept informed of the efforts being made by the British Government and the Executive to facilitate dialogue and to address the wider concerns of the two communities in Ardoyne and Glenbryn.
The Good Friday Agreement affirmed the right of people to live their lives free from sectarian harassment. If these words are to mean anything, they must surely apply to young schoolchildren. We will continue to work with the British Government to ensure that this right is protected and vindicated.
Will the Minister comment on the most recent proposal by the manager of the school? Does he regard it as a fall-back position or as an indication that progress is being made?
The board of management of the school has done everything possible in this situation. It has made a number of proposals during the course of this dispute. I would listen very carefully, and ask the parents and children to listen to what he has to say. The point must also be made that if there are parents and children who wish to go to school along that route, they are entitled to do so.
None of us would disagree with what the Minister has said. What is happening in Ardoyne is an abominable abuse of children. Has the Minister had any feedback or contact with any of the loyalist leaders as to what is behind this grievance which seems quite unique in terms of the severity of the taunting of children, although I am sure we would hear of other examples if we dug deep enough? Is there any intention to try to get to the bottom of what is driving the bitterness and the hatred here, to find out whether there is a level of deprivation, a level of resources, and whether some form of mini-peace process is required? Has the Minister been instrumental in bringing forward such an initiative?
While there have been blatant cases of murder and intimidation directed towards the Protestant community, under no circumstances does this justify what has been happening in recent times. I have always supported the right to peaceful protest and I established that a long time ago. However, does the Minister agree that given the naked bigotry which has been exhibited to small children we might have reached the stage where other measures ought to be taken? This has passed the stage where the right of peaceful protest is the primary consideration. Other factors must now be taken into consideration, namely, the naked bigotry so obviously exhibited.
We share the Minister's sense of horror and shock at what is happening to these young children. Can he explain why the police appear to be so impotent in stopping it? The children are trying to get to school every day. Why can the police not stop what is happening by using the law in Northern Ireland?
It would not be fair to direct criticism at the police in this situation. They have acted with commendable resolve and even-handedness. They have faced danger and have suffered serious injury. The police are doing as good a job as could be expected in the face of what has been, at times, an extremely difficult and dangerous situation.
I do not mean to criticise them. I am simply wondering why they cannot arrest people and stop what is happening.
There have been efforts at a number of levels. There have been efforts at local community level to get spokespersons to meet and resolve matters. There was a meeting in Stormont on 9 October on how to resolve the matter and bring the protest to an end. Efforts are being made to address the security concerns of the two communities and the wider socio-economic issues affecting Glenbryn and Ardoyne. On 10 October, the NIO Security Minister announced additional security measures for the area, particularly the erection of a peace line between Glenbryn Park and Alliance Avenue. An interdepartmental group has been set up to look into the concerns of the community and among the issues being examined are housing, special education, counselling, security and reconciliation.
Furthermore, a liaison officer has been appointed by the Executive. His role is to act as the person on the ground for the Executive. He is based in the community and will provide an accessible channel through which the local communities can express their concerns. We all hope the genuine efforts being made on a number of levels will meet with early success.
