20 April 2012

New Initiative Launched To Resolve Parading Disputes

Former speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, Lord John Alderdice, has been asked to take on an initiative by the Parades Commission to resolve parading disputes in Ardoyne, north Belfast.

Fr Gary Donegan and Rev Norman Hamilton will also take part in the new initiative.

SF north Belfast Assembly member Gerry Kelly commented: "There have been a number of efforts over many years to resolve the issue of contentious parades in Ardoyne. I wish this latest initiative well and look forward to meeting with them.

"However we need to be realistic. Every initiative in the past failed on the basis that the Orange Order has steadfastly refused to engage in meaningful dialogue with the community they seek to march through and even refuse to talk to the Parades Commission.

"For a resolution to be found this arrogant stance needs to change. In the week that the Orange Order received significant amounts of EU funding to contribute to peace building and reconciliation their continuing refusal to talk to local nationalist communities is even more untenable."

(CD/GK)