Gerry Adams urges Orange Order to talk to new Parades Commission

IT IS IMPORTANT that the North’s new Parades Commission does not repeat the mistakes of its predecessor, Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams said before a meeting at Belfast City Hall on Monday night with the unionist North and West Belfast Parades Cultural Forum. The Sinn Féin leader also called for the Orange Order “to come into the real world” by talking to the Parades Commission.

Gerry Adams said:

It is significant that the first reaction of the Orange Order was to say that it will not talk. How can any issue be sorted out without dialogue? The Orange Order needs to come into the real world.

Secretary of State Owen Paterson has appointed Peter Osborne as Chair of the Parades Commission and six new Commission members.

Douglas Bain, Delia Close, Reverend Brian Kennaway, Dr Catriona King, Frances Nolan and Robin Percival will take up their posts in January.

Brian Kennaway is a former senior Orangeman.

Gerry Adams added:

The last Parades Commission made a number of very bad decisions which added significantly to the tension around the marching season.

The new commission needs to ensure that it does not repeat these mistakes.

It also needs to agree a long-term strategic resolution to dealing with the few remaining contentious parades.

Sinn Féin will be seeking an early meeting with the new Parades Commission to address concerns we have about previous decisions and the mechanism which the Parades Commission went through to reach them.

The Sinn Fein delegation meeting the North and West Belfast Parades Cultural Forum included Caral Ní Chuilin MLA, Pat Sheehan MLA, Fra McCann MLA and Councillor Gerry McCabe.