Allister Exposes Plan to Reintroduce Parading Body
08 July 2011
Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:
“Following a question to the Joint First Ministers about why the budget provides fresh funding for the establishment of a Public Assemblies, Parades and Protest Body I have established that OFMDFM plan to try and again bounce the Loyal Orders into accepting such a body. Instead of accepting their proposals failed to gather the necessary support and require radical overhaul, they patently intend to again serve up the same flawed scheme.
“After a public outcry there was some rowing back on proposals which would have meant religious open airs and non-parade related protests would require approval of the planned OFMDFM quango but the proposals - which were rejected by the Orange Order some time ago - would still have meant that adjudicators, including convicted terrorists, appointed by IRA commander McGuinness and the First Minister, would make judgments on what parades could and could not take place.
“There was repeated stress upon the need to seek the agreement of local residents before a parade takes place. It was clear that despite claims to the contrary dialogue with residents’ groups will be a major determining factor when it comes to deciding if a controversial parade should pass.
“Additionally, when the ideas were first floated TUV highlighted that nowhere within the proposals was there any presumption in favour of traditional routes or presumption in favour of parading on arterial routes, in pursuit of such being shared space.
“When it is remembered that the adjudicators on parades were to be appointed by the Joint First Ministers, and therefore will include McGuinness’ placemen – with no bar on those with terrorist convictions – and that there was to be no right of appeal from the adjudicators, then there is little hope for greater respect of Northern Ireland’s parading culture if the Public Assemblies, Parades and Protest Body rightly rejected by the Orange Order is resurrected.
“The proposals were designed to provide cover for the brand of politics followed by some Unionists: the message from its authors to parade organisers was ‘as we collaborate in government with IRA/Sinn Fein, so you likewise must collaborate with them on the streets’, giving its own cover to their nefarious coalition with the forces of evil.”
“It is outrageous that OFMDFM should seek to foist these proposals on the Loyal Orders once again after they have been rejected”.
Note to editors:
Mr Allister’s question and the answer received were as follows:
To ask the First Minister and deputy First Minister why their departmental budget allocation provides £2.2 million in 2013-14 and £2.39 million in 2014-15 for a Public Assemblies Parades and Protest Body when such a body has been rejected and is not provided for in legislation.
We are committed, as outlined in the Hillsborough Castle Agreement of 5 February 2010, to establish a new and improved framework for the management and regulation of public assemblies, including parades and related protests.
It is our desire to proceed with this work by consensus of the key stakeholders during the course of this budget period. It is therefore prudent to plan and budget for any associated costs that may be incurred and these are currently recorded under the title of the Public Parades and Protest Body. If this is not realised, the funding can be redistributed in the in-year budget process monitoring.
We will continue to review our Budget plans, and the underlying assumptions underpinning those plans through the course of the four-year Budget period.
