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McDonnell: McDonnell welcomes reprieve for Parades Commission

SDLP South Belfast MP Alasdair McDonnell welcomed the statement by Secretary of State Owen Paterson that he will shortly extend the remit of the Parades Commission if Sinn Fein and the DUP do not get their parades legislation through the Assembly soon.

Wed 8th September

The Secretary of State made his statement to the Commons Northern Ireland Committee of which Alasdair McDonnell is a member. He said: “I take heart that Owen Paterson may have realised the utter folly of what Sinn Fein, the DUP and the Orange Order are up to. Their original Parades and Assemblies bill is in tatters, laughed out of court. They will no doubt massively narrow its scope by amendments, but that will not address the fatal flaw that lies at its heart. After years of hard work to depoliticise parading disputes, their bill would politicise them again at the highest level.

 

“The reality is that the Orange Order demanded the Parades Commission’s head on a plate, the DUP wanted to give it to them and Sinn Fein rolled over with no protest. We have had our disagreements with the Commission over various determinations, but by and large it has brought us more than a decade of peace at most interfaces, most notably Garvaghy Road. It should not be sacrificed as part of a shady political fix.

 

“There are a couple of good ideas in the bill about promoting local dialogue, but this should be done by or in partnership with the Commission and not by some DUP/Sinn Fein quango. I hope that the progress of this bill through the Assembly, which will disclose all its other weaknesses, will convince the Secretary of State that boosting the powers of the Commission is a much better choice than abolishing it.”

Dr Alasdair McDonnell

Dr Alasdair McDonnell MP, MLA, Assembly

Email mcdonnella@parliament.uk
Tel 028 9024 2474

Press Office

Tel 028 90 42 1837

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