Debate contribution: Parades Commission: Public Confidence

Debate contribution by Ms Claire Sugden on 7 September 2026.

MLA

Ms Claire Sugden

Party at the time

Independent

Date

7 September 2026

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Matter of the Day

Heading

Parades Commission: Public Confidence

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5669560

Read the official Assembly record

Text

The issue today is not simply about Drumcree, but about public confidence in the Parades Commission and, ultimately, the integrity of an organisation that must continue to command the confidence of people across Northern Ireland. Around 4,000 processions are notified every year, and fewer than 5% of those are considered sensitive. To all intents and purposes, that tells us that much of the work of the Parades Commission happens successfully, routinely and without controversy. That is precisely why what has happened in relation to Drumcree is so damaging. Mr Justice McAlinden was scathing in his assessment of the process. He spoke about public administration needing the confidence of the public, as well as errors, shortcuts and sloppy procedures requiring appropriate corrective action. For any public body, those comments would be serious, but for the Parades Commission, dealing with Drumcree, they are particularly serious. Drumcree predates the commission itself. Indeed, the events surrounding Drumcree and other contentious parades were among the reasons why the system was created in the first place. I was a child during the worst years of that dispute, and while I do not remember every argument, I remember the images. I remember the protests, the tension and the sense of fear around them. I remember members of my own family going down to the bridges to protest and being terrified. More than 30 years later, none of us wants to return to that. However, an organisation that was established to manage disputes of that sensitivity must enjoy the confidence of all sections of our community and, right now, I do not believe that it does. Billy Gamble has, rightly, resigned, and I believe that the remaining commissioners should do the same.

This is not personal. It is not about attacking individual commissioners or dismissing the work that they have done; it is quite the opposite. Sometimes, public service requires people to take responsibility, precisely because the institution is more important than the individuals. A significant mistake was made in one of the most sensitive parading disputes Northern Ireland has ever known. For the sake of the integrity and future credibility of the Parades Commission, I believe that a fresh start is now necessary. Therefore, I find it really difficult to understand why the Secretary of State has chosen to give the remaining commissioners his full backing. I would have had much greater confidence in an approach that saw the commissioners step aside and the Secretary of State establish a genuine, comprehensive review of what the Parades Commission should be in 2026. However, that cannot stop at Drumcree. There are already 4,000 notified processions, not all of which are contentious. Those include protests, community parades, sporting events, road races and activities that are part of everyday life across Northern Ireland. If fewer than 5% of those are sensitive, we should be asking whether a framework that was designed almost 30 years ago remains proportionate and appropriate for Northern Ireland today. I do not know whether they should walk down Garvaghy Road or not —

— but I do know that we need to get back to listening to all sides of the debate.

525 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 16:12 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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