COMPLACENCY MAY be the greatest threat to the construction of a shared future for the two communities in Northern Ireland, according to a peace monitoring report funded by the Joseph Rowntree Trust. It warns that the policing deal under the Belfast Agreement is not secure because Catholic members of the PSNI are not representative of the nationalist population as a whole and because their dropout rate is higher than that for Protestants.
It also makes the point that the number of “interface walls” between communities has more than doubled, to 48, since the peace agreement was signed nearly 14 years ago.
The report by Dr Paul Nolan bears out a warning by former police ombudsman Nuala O’Loan. Some years ago, she cautioned that without continuing and determined efforts by community activists and support from politicians, the progress made in addressing traditional divisions could be halted and even reversed. It is a chilling reminder that, where deep-rooted animosities persist, complacency and old ways of doing things are dangerous enemies.
There was no magic wand to dispel the effects of discrimination that disfigured Northern Ireland for so long. But great progress has been made on the political front. A Northern Ireland Assembly and powersharing Executive are functioning in difficult economic circumstances. First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness appear to have developed a good working relationship. However, the anticipated peace dividend – in terms of inward investment and Westminster funding – has not been sufficiently large to drive the economy forward.
Signs of a confident, neutral urban culture are emerging in some areas, however, even as old beliefs and attitudes inhibit integration elsewhere. Nine out of ten school enrolments and social housing allocations still involve single identity communities. This separation of communities perpetuates religious-based divisions and a lack of trust.
The most worrying conclusion involves the PSNI, an essential pillar of the peace settlement. Catholic members have become the main focus for dissident republican violence and have begun to leave. Establishing public confidence in the impartiality of the PSNI has been one of the key achievements of the past decade. In order to protect that reputation and the integrity of the peace process, Sinn Féin will have to swallow hard and promote recruitment in nationalist areas.