The Northern Ireland Secretary of State must be prepared to use his powers to prohibit the Drumcree parade from taking place if a mediation process fails, the Irish parliament has been told.
Labour leader Ivana Bacik said the decision of the Parades Commission to permit the Orange Order to march down the Garvaghy Road in Co Armagh after a 28-year ban has reopened “seriously deep wounds”.
Section 11 powers urged
She told the Dáil that Sir Chris Bryant must exercise his powers under Section 11 of the Public Processions Act, which allows the Secretary of State to ban a parade if it is in the public interest to do so.
“The reason this march has been rightly curtailed for nearly 30 years is the enormous horror it causes for a community that has grappled for decades with a legacy of violence – violence linked to so many killings,” Ms Bacik said.
She described the decision to grant the Orange Order permission to march as “reckless, irresponsible, and wrong”, adding there was “no material change” in the circumstances that had led to the march being refused on previous occasions.
Mediation call
Ms Bacik added: “Can we see a way to appoint a mediator as soon as possible? And if not, then why aren’t we talking about Section 11, which is part of the architecture of the Good Friday Agreement? It’s there in the 1998 legislation.
“The power of the Secretary of State to prohibit a parade without any veto from the PSNI or the Commission – enabling consultation – but no right of veto.
“So the Secretary of State must be prepared to utilise that power rather than run the risk of violence on the Garvaghy Road.”
Taoiseach warns of risk
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the Irish Government is “deeply concerned” by recent events surrounding the Drumcree march.
Mr Martin told the Dáil there is now a “real risk” that the progress made on community relations in Northern Ireland will be set back.
The Fianna Fáil leader supports appointing an independent international mediator to try and resolve the issues.
“I think overall we need to acknowledge that the bottom line is we’ve made significant progress over many years in furthering reconciliation under the Good Friday Agreement, and a return to the divisions of the past is simply unthinkable,” he added.
“My views on the original decision are well known.
“My focus now, working with all involved, is to see how we can create a pathway forward that mediates the community out of the grave risk that overshadows it right now.”
Sinn Féin leader intervenes
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald called on Mr Martin to press the Secretary of State to intervene in the matter and “lift the threat of the sectarian march”.
The Dublin TD said the Irish and British government have a responsibility to ensure that the Garvaghy Road residents live in peace and “free from sectarian intimidation”.
“I’ve spoken to those mothers and grandmothers who lived through the dark years, and to parents, children, and teenagers also, who have lived their entire lives free from that intimidation and fear,” she added.
“That is, in the end, the greatest gift that peace has given to an entire generation. So why, in God’s name, would anyone seek to drag this community backwards?
“Whatever their motivations, they will fail, because there is no going back. The days of unionist domination are over.”
