A delegation of Alliance Councillors will meet with the Chief Constable Ronnie Flanagan on Tuesday 16th December. The meeting has been organised at the request of the Alliance Councillors who are increasingly concerned about the level of paramilitary activity in their area of East Antrim.
The three Alliance Councillors attending the meeting will be Sean Neeson, Stewart Dickson and Jim Rooney.
Commenting on the Ulster Marketing Surveys report on Queen’s Students Union revealed in the Belfast Telegraph, Alliance Party spokesman Stephen Farry has called for attention to shift from the ‘politics of symbolism’ to the quality of student services.
“There are undoubtedly problems of alienation amongst Protestant students at Queen’s. But this is not only caused by some actions by Nationalists, but through considerable propaganda from Unionists. Alliance is firm in advocating a neutral environment for all students.
“Most students do not engage in student politics. The narrow focus on the politics of symbols is probably a deterrent to them. The UMS report clearly shows that students from all backgrounds are primarily citing reasons concerning the quality of services and facilities for not using the Students’ Union. This is something that both student representatives and the University should turn their minds to.”
Alliance Party Chief Whip Alderman Sean Neeson has condemned last nights IRA break out from the Maze Prison as an act of selfishness, that is putting the privileges of other prisoners at risk.
Mr Neeson said:
“Is it the duty of Republican prisoners to behave in such a fashion that other prisoners whether Republican or Loyalist will undoubtedly face the consequences. I would appeal to the Republican Movement to hand over the escapee to the authorities so that others including prisoners families will not lose out.”
Alliance Party Spokesman Dr Philip McGarry, commenting on the reaction of Mitchell McLoughlin and Gerry Adams to the escape of Liam Avril, has said that there is a fundamental gulf in values between those who have always opposed violence in Ireland and those who have supported it.
Dr McGarry said:
“Three years ago Liam Avril carried out a particularly brutal and openly sectarian murder on two Protestant men. This was a completely immoral act and was as reprehensible as the viscous and immoral murder of Mr Duffy in Glengormley by a Loyalist Group last weekend.
“Mitchell McLoughlin has referred to Liam Avril as a ‘prisoner of war’. Gerry Adams has wished him good luck. These comments expose the cruel reality that despite the rhetoric about peace the Leaders of Sinn Fein regarded the sectarian murder of Irish Protestants as justifiable and understandable acts.
“On the other hand there are many people in Northern Ireland of all religious persuasions who have always opposed violence and who will never seek to justify the killing of any person whether for the cause of Nationalism or for the cause of Unionism.”
Alliance Party Deputy Leader Seamus Close has criticsed the continuing lack of opportunity for local political representatives to have an effective input to Government public expenditure plans.
Seamus Close said:
“For some time now we have been asking the Northern Ireland Office to arrange monthly meetings were senior civil servants can exchange first hand with local representatives information about the way Government is thinking and about how money is to be spent local politicians are kept in the dark about future Government Plans, about how the finance system within Government operates in relation to Northern Ireland, and about what costing have been made for various proposals.
“Tomorrow the SOS will announce public expenditure plans, but local politicians, who should be in a position to make informed statements about the plans will not be told in any realistic advance of the announcement.
“It is time that the SOS took seriously her much vaumpted commitment to consulting local politicians.”
Alliance Spokesman Philip McGarry has welcomed President Mary McAleese’s call on the GAA to remove Rule 21, which bans membership to members of the RUC and the Army.
Philip McGarry said:
“We welcome the President’s call for this offensive rule to be scrapped. We have always taken the view that the rule does nothing but further divide our community. A change is long overdue. Indeed I would call on others in positions of influence to make it clear that this rule must go. Its removal would be an ideal example of a confidence building measure.”
Alliance Party Spokesman, Cllr Stephen Farry, has described the referendum vote on the Irish Language Signs in Queen’s Students’ Union as a regrettable blow to the concept of fair employment.
Cllr Farry stated:
“Fair employment matters cannot be decided by a majority vote either among the workers in a factory or by students in a students’ union. Majority voting defeats the purpose of fair employment legislation. It is designed to protect those who percieve themselves as part of a minority from being intimidated by the symbols of the majority.
“This vote by the union is regrettable, as the students who voted ‘yes’ are disagreeing with the very concept of fair employment. In many ways, it is unfortunate that the Irish Language has become so politicised that it has become a barrier to a neutral working environment. While it remains so, the Irish Langauge can and should be promoted in other ways.
“Alliance firmly believes in the concept of neutral working environments. It is regrettable that the SDLP have actually welcomed the vote. A neutral environment does not just mean removing symbols that can be perceived as Unionist, it also means sometimes entail removing symbols that are perceived as Nationalist.”
The Alliance Party’s new Health and Social Services spokesman, Alderman Stewart Dickson, has welcomed the British Medical Association’s detailed analysis of the Northern Ireland health service.
The Carrickfergus Councillor said the report, which claims that half of Northern Ireland’s trusts to do not have enough beds to cope with emergencies, highlights the “genuine” concern facing the province’s health service.
Alderman Dickson also welcomed the report’s call for the Government to take swift action – especially in relation to the number of hospital beds being blocked by patients who cannot leave hospital because of inadequate after-care.
Alderman Dickson continued: “As the new Health and Social Services spokesman for the Alliance Party, I would welcome any survey into the workings of the province’s health service.
“I think it confirms the concern that people have into the current state of our health service – especially in relation to the number of beds being blocked by people who have to wait on the Social Services.
“The survey makes us aware that there are people in hospital due to lack of home help services and other community support services and I think that this is a very worrying trend.
“I also believe that we urgently need an acute hospital services review by the Department of Health so that we can judge what the Government is saying alongside the yesterday’s damming report from the BMA.”
Alliance Chief Whip and Carrickfergus Councillor, Sean Neeson, has sought an urgent meeting with Security Minister Adam Ingram over the future of the Royal Irish Regiment base at Woodburn.
Alderman Neeson, who is member of the Stormont Talks Team and Northern Ireland Forum, confirmed that he will be asking Mr. Ingram to clarify the Government’s position in relation to the long term future of the base.
Mr. Neeson said: “I will be hoping to have an urgent meeting with Mr. Ingram in order to discuss the future of the RIR army base in Carrickfergus as the RIR are currently reviewing their future strategy in relation to all RIR bases in Northern Ireland.
“But I have been informed from a reliable source that doubt has been cast over the long-term future of the base in Carrickfergus. I am concerned about this development because the base is widely recognised as one of Northern Ireland’s leading recruitment centres for the regiment.
“It has always played an important economic, community and charitable based role for everyone in Carrickfergus. However, the base is also important to members of the Ulster Defence Regiment Association.
“And from a security point of view, the RIR base has always played a significant role when trouble has flared in parts of North Belfast and I will definitely be urging the Minister to keep the base in Carrickfergus.”
Speaking at the Alliance Party’s Quarterly Council Meeting in Bangor, Cllr Stephen Farry, called for the party to work to ensure that any Talks agreement is not simply a carve-up between Unionism and Nationalism.
Cllr Farry said:
“There is a growing sense of cautious optimism that the Talks could produce a political agreement. The parameters of that agreement are reasonably clear: a regional power-sharing government, meaningful North-South bodies, and entrenchment of the Principle of Consent.
“However, even with a political agreement, Northern Ireland will remain a deeply divided society. A huge effort will be necessary to overcome sectarianism and polarisation within society. There will always be a role for a party like Alliance in helping to build such a society based on peace, prosperity and equal opportunities for every individual.
“The Talks must build an agreement that recognises that Northern Ireland is politically divided. However, there is a danger that the wrong type of agreement could inadvertently entrench sectarian divisions rather than provide the means to overcome them. There are powerful interests in our society who could accept a sectarian carve-up between Unionism and Nationalism. Anything based on the idea of institutionalising ‘two communities’ by giving formal political recognition to Unionism and Nationalism is very dangerous.
“Not every person in Northern Ireland chooses to be labelled as a Unionist or a Nationalist. Many Protestants and Catholics recognise that they sometimes have more in common with people from other denominations than their co-religionists. People like these, many of whom Alliance represents, would be effectively disenfranchised by a sectarian carve-up.
“Furthermore, how could a normal society be built here if we accept that the politics of Unionism and Nationalism are to be permanent fixtures on the political landscape.
“I believe that Alliance can play several important roles in the Talks. We can represent the interests of our constituency. Because of who we are we can often help Unionists and Nationalists to find agreement. We can be a powerful engine of ideas. And finally, we can be the bulwark that makes a Unionist-Nationalist carve-up a nonsense.”
Alliance Party News 