Fine Gael MEP puts his foot in it
20 May 2008
Today in the European Parliament a speech by Jim Allister, again highlighting the discrimination against Protestants in PSNI recruitment, provoked a foolish outburst from Dublin Fine Gael MEP, Gay Mitchell, who tried to claim there is no such discrimination and that the PSNI is 90% Protestant. Mr Mitchell compounded his error by rushing out a press statement to the same effect.
The interventions in the Parliament are as below:-
Jim Allister – Mr President, when the rapporteur spoke she said that every EU citizen must be treated equally. Sadly, the rapporteur herself seems not to believe that. If she did, then this report would cry out against the fact that this EU, through a derogation, authorises discrimination on religious grounds in my constituency of Northern Ireland; specifically discrimination against Protestants who want to join the Police Service in Northern Ireland.
Yes, in this EU there is express religious discrimination, sanctioned in that way. So when I listen to the high sounding affirmations against discrimination I think of many young Protestant constituents who wanted to join the police, scored higher than Roman Catholic applicants, but who saw those people appointed over their heads because discrimination is statutory, provided for in legislation. So, until we get horizontal application of what we have in place, we needn't talk about any extensions to anti-discrimination legislation.
Gay Mitchell (PPE-DE). – On a point of order, Mr President, I recognise that I have not been called to speak, but what Mr Allister said about discrimination against Protestants in the police force in Northern Ireland is totally untrue. The force is 90% a Protestant organisation.
(The President cut off the speaker.)
Commenting Jim Allister said Mr Mitchell should learn the elementary lesson of checking the facts before making allegations. It seems that Gay Mitchell is ignorant of the fact that the legislation governing PSNI recruitment sets aside the merit principle in favour of a statutory requirement for 50% Catholic recruits and that this has resulted in Protestant applicants, scoring higher in competition, being passed over in order to appoint the designated quota of Catholics. Moreover, such is only possible because of a derogation granted to the UK in respect of its obligations under an EU 2000 Directive.
Second, he is grossly misinformed if he thinks the PSNI is 90% Protestant. The latest figures (1/5/08) for regular officers show it is 24.31% Catholic, 73.14% Protestant and 2.5% undetermined. And, of course, the primary reason for the historic under-representation of Roman Catholics is the sustained intimidation campaign orchestrated for years by the IRA against Catholics who dared to join.
