All of Ms Paula Bradshaw’s imported questions, contributions and motions in this mandate, newest first, including those assessed as not flagged, uncertain or not yet analysed.
I think that you are making the argument for my Bill. I do not know how many times I said it in my opening remarks, but we want to support people to celebrate and commemorate their cultural heritage etc. We want to give them the space to provide the justification and information about why the flags are up so that DFI…
You are not very well informed. First, it was a graphic that used the phrase "striking a balance". As I indicated, I want to see a balance so that sporting organisations such as Bredagh GAC and others can put them up for a time-bound period. The flag in the graphic is a prime example. It had been up for many years and…
I will get to your point, but, first, I will go back. You asked about legislation: hopefully, I laboured the point enough that the flags commission — FICT — called for stand-alone legislation to tidy this up. Unlike others, even government Departments, I looked at what came out of the flags commission and am taking…
I make the point that some of this is in the terrorism legislation at Westminster. As I mentioned, we as a party have fed into the review, and we support the police's having more powers to take down flags etc. We are, however, still dependent on Westminster for that coming through. I would like Mr Buckley to reference…
Thank you. As I said, there is a plethora of legislation, but it is not acted on. The Bill places a clear duty on the Department to act in that regard. At the minute, on no such occasion does that occur.
Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. That is the point; that is the reason why I read into the record the examples that are not reaching the threshold for that sort of intervention. We know of the need to tighten. The police have said many times over the years that they would like more seizure powers with regard to flags,…
I appreciate your question. The code of practice will, in many ways, outline that. I certainly do not want the online portal to become burdensome or to make people feel in any way that they are obliged. We are trying to strike a balance so that there is transparency about who puts the flags up, why they are up and…
Thank you for your intervention. Clause 2(1) sets out definitions and examples of sensitive places, including places of worship and interface areas. Clause 2(2) provides examples of places where public services are provided, such as schools. Clause 2(3) provides examples of shared communal spaces, which include public…
No. What I am saying is that, in those instances, the police have already done their own assessment. I have given examples of the types of banners, flags and posters that have gone up in public spaces on which we have seen no action taken. Let me get to the bones of the clauses. I will be able to respond to some of…
My understanding from the PSNI's public commentary last week is that those flags did not meet the criminal threshold, but I am saying that, in circumstances in which such flags are put up, they are clearly meant to stir up fear and intimidation etc.
Thank you very much, Brian, for your considered comment. By way of example, take the "Billy was Wright" flags that went up recently. You will be aware of them. When the police were approached, they said that the flags did not meet the threshold for their intervention. The obvious question then is who removes them. My…
I certainly appreciate that, which is why I said that, where they fall into the first category of being intimidatory, there is an absolute duty to take them down. Say, for example, that a local protocol is in place for the Ormeau Road and that Ballynafeigh Orange Hall is very much involved in that with local bands et…
The Bill supports people being able to have celebrations and commemorations, but they have to be time-bound. Do you know what I mean? If flags are up for too long, there is a demarcation. There has to be an expectation that greenways that have had significant public money spent on them should be open to everybody.…
I will just finish my point. In that instance, people could express their concerns about flags going up in the area. It would be up to the Department, then, to apply the public interest test. As is outlined specifically in the Bill, the Department would have to take the views of people who live in the vicinity and…
The Comber greenway is a good example. That should not be demarcated for one section of the community or the other, in my opinion. If it is on a traditional marching route during the marching season, of course, there should be accommodation in that community for flags to go up.
I will go into the specifics of the clause, and hopefully I will be able to address that. Fundamentally, as I have said, this gives people an opportunity to act voluntarily. It is not a notification system. People can go on to the online portal that is featured in one of the clauses to say, "We're going to put flags…
I beg to move Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I have been working on the Bill for nearly a decade. In that time, we have had two prolonged periods of suspension of the Assembly; a global pandemic that, rightly, skewed our focus here; and the publication of the report of the Commission on Flags, Identity, Culture and…