Scrap parades commission say DUP

Published Tuesday, 06 October 2009

The Democratic Unionist Party have called for the scrapping of the Parades Commission as part of its price for devolving policing and justice powers to Northern Ireland.

The Commission rules on contentious loyal order demonstrations. The party wants to keep the full-time police reserve and retain personal protection weapons for former members of the security services DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson said.

The shopping list, which Sinn Fein is likely to oppose, is essential to building unionist confidence in the transfer of policing powers from London to Belfast, the Lagan Valley DUP representative added.

First and deputy first ministers Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness are holding talks at Downing Street on the devolution of policing powers.

Mr Donaldson said: "There are two matters on which we need to make progress, one is the policing and justice budget, the other relates to the building of confidence within the community.

"We are putting forward our design to achieve both objectives, we need to get progress on both."

Sinn Fein wants to see devolution by Christmas. The cost of a devolution deal is thought to be in the region of £600m.

Relations between the first minister and deputy first minister have deteriorated in recent weeks.

Sinn Fein said the transfer of justice powers should have happened months ago and accused Mr Robinson of stalling because of pressure from hardliners in his own party.

The DUP said the unionist community must have confidence in any new arrangements before they sign up to them.

Comments

9 Comments

Jim in Derry wrote (960 days ago):

Remember, when we next go to the polls, use your vote to elect someone who will give the people of NI the jobs, social housing, welfare, care of the elderly and everything else this rundown dump needs. THe DUP and Sinn Fein are always on the take take take. Sad little people who want to squabble over who marches down what road and through who's community. It's as simple as this, so long as the DUP can see protestant marches go through catholic areas then they're happy but when the commission say's no, hold on then they spit the dummy and hold everyone back. Here's a question for Jeffrey Donaldson, how many republican marches have you ever seen go through protestant communities?

Liambo in West Belfast wrote (960 days ago):

Off course the DUP want to return to them day's Steven in Edinburgh. It gives them a platform to try and get back the hardcore loyalists they've lost.

Christopher in Newry wrote (960 days ago):

Yeah i would agree with Colin. Rather than abolish the parades commission I think its about time the Scottish example should be followed in that the number of parades should be drastically reduced to save on policing and cleaning costs. I also think anyone who applies to hold parades should be made pay for both the policing budget and the councils cleaning bills following parades. Would Jeffrey not think this would have the dual purpose of saving public funds which are in short supply and reduce community tension.

Stephen in Ballymena wrote (960 days ago):

Unionists are sick of giving ground in what seems to be a very one way street . I can appreciate that Peter is trying to draw a line in the sand and further gain the trust of unionists. If the scrapping of the parades commission is unpalatable to Nationalists, or even some unionists, then let's create a GAA commission to oversee the withdrawal of state funding, then we can call it quits....

Steven - Edinburgh in Edinburgh wrote (960 days ago):

Nationalists need to have confidence in the devolution of Policing & Justice and axing the fully-independent Parades Commission does not command cross-community support. NI hasn't seen the same level of civil unrest as the 1995-1997 Drumcree marches since the Parades Commission was established (1998). Do the DUP really want to return to that?

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