Unionist Walkout 'A Step Back' - Adams

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has told the Dáil that yesterday's walk out of new talks by unionist leaders in Northern Ireland was "a serious step back".

Northern Ireland's political leaders had gathered at Stormont to instigate fresh talks designed to find a way forward on contentious issues such as flags, parading and the past. The move followed the break down of the Richard Haass talks last Christmas, which ended with no agreement reached between parties.

But the latest talks ended abruptly following a Parades Commission to restrict a 12 July Orange Order parade through a predominantly nationalist area in north Belfast.

Mr Adams told his fellow TDs in the Dáil that "the onus now shifts very firmly to the two governments. As co-equal guarantors of the agreement the two governments must ensure continuing progress and this has to include implementing agreements already made that are their sole responsibility," he said.

"There are more loyalist and orange parades taking place each year than ever before. In 2005 there were 2120 marches in the north. By last year that had more than doubled to 4,637. Two thirds of these are loyalist parades. Claims that objections by a handful of nationalist areas to orange parades going through their communities is an attack on the Orange is clearly a nonsense.

"The decision by the unionist leaderships today is evidence of their failure to stand firm against the demands of the Orange Order, the UVF and UDA in north Belfast. This is about these groups playing the Orange Card and using the threat of political instability to achieve their demands."

A joint statement has been released by Northern Ireland's unionist politicians, including First Minister Peter Robinson and Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt, which says: "This Parades Commission determination creates a serious situation for Northern Ireland. We know, having seen republican threats of violence being rewarded, the conclusion is swiftly drawn that violence pays. We have, for some time, been aware that such an absurd parades determination would bring with it a very real risk of widespread violence and disorder. In the past number of weeks the DUP, UUP, TUV, PUP and UPRG (West Belfast) have discussed and agreed our united response.

"The Unionist parties have pledged to work collectively on this issue. We do so to avert violence and destruction on our streets with the attendant harm that this would cause to Northern Ireland's community relations and reputation. The desired direction of travel for Northern Ireland has been to leave behind the use and threat of violence. This decision and its surrender to publicly issued republican threats is unacceptable and flies in the face of the democratically expressed wishes of the people of Northern Ireland who want to move forward on a basis where cultural expressions are undertaken with respect and met with tolerance.

"The message the Parades Commission has sent out is simple. It has shown that the Commission members place no value on a relationship with unionism and have treated our advice with contempt. It has turned its face away from the evidence including from the PSNI. It is regrettable, but so be it. As a consequence we, as leaders of the unionist community, see no value in continuing contact with a Parades Commission that does not listen and is immune to reason."

(IT/CD)