Parades commission review to be ‘apolitical’

A review into the Northern Ireland Parades Commission will not be restricted by political factors, according to the man chosen…

A review into the Northern Ireland Parades Commission will not be restricted by political factors, according to the man chosen to conduct it.

Sir George Quigley said he would not have agreed to undertake the task if political constraints had been imposed, and "it will definitely not be a political review."

Sir George, a former Ulster Bank chairman, said he had been given complete freedom by the British government to conduct his inquiry as he deemed appropriate and there would be no restrictions on his conclusions.

He will report to Northern Ireland Secretary Dr John Reid and any recommendations for changes in the legislation would be introduced after next summer.

READ MORE

The aim of the review - proposed at the Weston Park talks in August - is to try to heighten public confidence in the Parades Commission.

The Commission, which was set up in February 1998, imposes restrictions on about 5 per cent of the estimated 3,500 parades staged every year and is viewed with suspicion by many unionists and loyalists.

It is hoped that the measure may eventually help lead to agreement on controversial parades such as Drumcree in Portadown, Co Armagh.

Mr Breandan MacConnaith, spokesman for the nationalist Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition - strong opponents of the Drumcree Orange march through their area - argued the review was a "backward step".

"The two governments have a duty to explain why this review is taking place. It is clearly seen by nationalists as a concession to unionists."

However, Mr David Jones, spokesman for the Orange Order in Portadown, welcomed the review, adding he hoped it would lead to reform of the Parades Commission.

"We would hope that this particular review would be much more inclusive and take into account the legislative base itself and hopefully the legislation would be reformed," he said.

PA