Written Answers. - Northern Ireland Issues.
Seán Haughey
Ceist:
208
Mr. Haughey
asked the
Minister for Foreign Affairs
if he will highlight with the British authorities the difficult situation being faced by residents of the Short Strand area in east Belfast as a result of sectarian attacks; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that these residents believe that the British Army and the Police Service of Northern Ireland are doing nothing to prevent this; his views on this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[25664/02]
Intense sectarian violence has blighted a number of areas of Northern Ireland in the past year and a half, particularly at the height of the marching season this summer. Certain interface areas in Belfast have been particularly affected by sectarian attacks ranging from pipe bomb campaigns to individual assaults. The situation was particularly acute in the Short Strand area of east Belfast during the summer months, beginning in mid-May, with attacks on homes, the firing of missiles and blast bombs at residents and a temporary blockade of the doctor's surgery and other social services. The situation has eased in intensity since the end of August although there have been disturbances on occasion since then, for example over the weekend of 15-16 November.
In early June the Taoiseach publicly acknowledged the concerns of the people of this area by stating "who have seen their community dwindle considerably because of the difficulties over years, [and who] feel that they are under huge threat." The Taoiseach subsequently raised his concerns about the situation directly with Prime Minister Blair. In addition, I met political representatives of the area and, during meetings with the then Secretary of State Dr. John Reid and with his successor Paul Murphy, I raised the need for increased security measures to protect vulnerable residents at exposed interface areas.
Throughout the summer officials from my Department and the Government's representatives based at the British-Irish Intergovernmental Secretariat in Belfast were in ongoing contact with local elected and community representatives, including visiting the area on a regular basis to assess the situation at first hand. The urgent need for both effective and impartial policing and increased security measures to protect the residents of the Short Strand was stressed in frequent contacts with the British side.
It should be acknowledged that since late August stronger and more focused security measures have been implemented in east Belfast and this is to be welcomed. The view of PSNI is that the majority of the serious attacks here and at other interfaces have been conducted by loyalist paramilitaries. At a meeting of the Northern Ireland Policing Board in early September, the then PSNI Assistant Chief Constable for Belfast said that, although people from both sides were involved in disorder, violence and paramilitary attacks, a significant majority of serious violence was coming from loyalist paramilitaries, directed at the Catholic community, the PSNI and the British Army.
The Government has consistently called for tougher police action against the organisers and perpetrators of this loyalist violence. Recent actions, including arrests, by PSNI, since the coming into office of new Chief Constable Hugh Orde, are to be welcomed in this regard but more needs to be done to assure vulnerable communities that the scourge of loyalist paramilitarism is being tackled effectively.
It should be acknowledged that some Protestant communities have also suffered from sectarian violence. Such attacks have occurred in Cluan Place, at the Short Strand interface in east Belfast, as well as in the Fountain area in Derry and at certain interfaces in north Belfast.
The Government will continue to work closely with the British Government and the political parties to address the issues surrounding sectarian and paramilitary violence, to bring about more effective policing of interface areas, and to ensure that increased additional security measures are available to residents of these areas, when required, as speedily as possible.
Local communities also have a role to play in reducing interface tensions. I welcome the fact that various efforts and initiatives are being undertaken at local level to achieve this end.
