Lisburn inequality challenged

Sinn Féin is to explore the possibility of challenging Lisburn Council under section 75 of the equality legislation.

Paul Butler, Angela Nelson and Jacqui Currie met on Tuesday with the Equality Commission to discuss the decision by the council to fly the Union flag. Also on the agenda was fair employment practices, the Irish language and the allocation of chairs/vice chairs of council committees.

Councillor Angela Nelson said that Sinn Féin raised with Equality Commission the party's concerns that Lisburn council was not complying with their own equality scheme. "Lisburn Council has created a chill factor amongst the Catholic community in Lisburn where many now see the council as serving the interests of only one community in Lisburn," said Nelson.

Meanwhile, Paul Butler says that nationalists will be discouraged from using Lisburn's Leisureplex centre because of the council's decision to fly a Union flag on the facility's bowling green and allow the location of a 12th July bonfire site in the car park.

Butler has also called on the Orange Order to end its practice of erecting an Orange Arch in Glenavy Village every year. "Glenavy is now a predominantly nationalist village and its residents do not want an arch put up every year for the 12th of July. There is no support from Glenavy's nationalist community for this arch," he said.