PRESSURE is mounting on Baroness Jean Denton, the North's minister responsible for fair employment, to resign over her role in the transfer from her private office of a Catholic woman who was the victim of sectarian harassment.
Baroness Denton ordered the transfer of the civil servant who recently received an apology and £10,000 from her department, the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland.
The department has admitted that Baroness Denton's private secretary, Ms Alvina Saunders, harassed the minister's diary secretary at around the time of the Drumcree Orange Order parade in July 1995.
The victim, who has not been named, was transferred shortly after the incident and is now on a career break with her husband in England. Ms Saunders has been disciplined but is still in her position. Fair employment guidelines dictate that the harasser and not the victim be transferred.
Following repeated denials by her department officials to the Irish News, which broke the story, that she played any role in the transfer, Baroness Denton admitted in a statement last week that she ordered the move.
The matter continues to dog the minister, who has insisted the transfer had nothing to do with the harassment action which she said was not lodged until after the woman had taken up her new post.
The deputy leader of the SDLP, Mr Seamus Mallon, met Baroness Denton yesterday. He told her of the grave concerns of the community about how the case was handled and the implications of Ms Saunders remaining in her position. Baroness Denton should "consider her position very seriously", he said.
The Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, has called for Baroness Denton's resignation and his party's chairman, Mr Mitchel McLaughlin, said he would raise the matter with US Congress members when he visits the US later this month.
The victim's uncle, Dr Raymond Shearer, also said Baroness Denton should resign over her handling of the matter which was "disingenuous in the least". He defended his niece's work record and rejected "insinuations" that she "wasn't up to the job".
The minister has said she does not consider the case to be a "resigning matter". Baroness Denton is the minister at both the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Economic Development which has responsibility for fair employment and equal opportunities.