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MLA Culture Wars

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107,469 records match, page 224 of 4299.

  2. Debate contribution: Display of Flags and Emblems Bill: Second Stage

    I do not want to press too hard on the point, but, in the debate, we have not heard from any side of the House — certainly not from one side — what the alternative to the Bill is; indeed, Ms Sugden should also address that. There is a clear requirement from the community that we deal with this as a societal matter in…

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  4. Debate contribution: Display of Flags and Emblems Bill: Second Stage

    Through the Chair, I appreciate that. Equally, however, I receive an awful lot more correspondence about people wanting their roads to be fixed and their street lights to be lit. That is the balance that we will have to decide on: what is the priority? To be fair, I also receive correspondence expressing concern about…

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  5. Debate contribution: Display of Flags and Emblems Bill: Second Stage

    On the issue of resource, the reality of the situation is that Northern Ireland is beset by sectarian flags; flags that communities do not want; and flags that communities are intimidated by. The Bill gives the opportunity to regulate and deal with those circumstances, and that will come at a cost. It is a cost that…

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  7. Debate contribution: Display of Flags and Emblems Bill: Second Stage

    As with all these things, there is context, and that is important. I am pleased that that is featured in the Bill, but, again, is it the Department for Infrastructure that should be considering that context? I am not entirely sure that it is. If anything, you would nearly need to build a new unit into the Department…

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  8. Debate contribution: Display of Flags and Emblems Bill: Second Stage

    As outlined at the start of the Bill, there is the absolute duty under those "intimidatory" categories, and there is then the "presumption". To enact the presumption and work your way through it, there is a process through which departmental officials would have to look at the vicinity, the circumstances and the…

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  11. Debate contribution: Display of Flags and Emblems Bill: Second Stage

    I thank the Member for the contribution. That is kind of what I was setting out when talking about which Department is the appropriate one to address the issue. Again, we could take offence at anything that is hung off a lamp post. On what basis do we bring it down? Do we bring it down because we disagree with it, or…

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  12. Debate contribution: Display of Flags and Emblems Bill: Second Stage

    I thank the Member for giving way. I will use a flippant example, but it points to some of the issues that may arise. I may not agree with a sporting team's flag. My husband supports a sporting team. However, if somebody puts up a flag in the vicinity and somebody else takes offence to that football team's flag being…

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  13. Debate contribution: Display of Flags and Emblems Bill: Second Stage

    What you have described there is the status quo. People are flying their flags unauthorised, but, when others contact the flags reporting line or go to the Department on any number of issues to raise concerns, none of those matters are dealt with. There is a complete imbalance where the silent majority of people, who…

    Not flagged Decided on a second assessment.

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  15. Debate contribution: Display of Flags and Emblems Bill: Second Stage

    I thank the sponsor for making that point. That is fair, but, given the limited scope of what the Bill can achieve, it has to be put into a much wider context. I do not necessarily agree that the Department for Infrastructure should do that. It should be done at a much more senior, overarching level, given the nature…

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  16. Debate contribution: Display of Flags and Emblems Bill: Second Stage

    I thank the Member for giving way. I am not trying to have a gotcha moment, but the Member will be aware that section 78F of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 was inserted by the Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Act 2022, placing a duty on the Department to consider its actions in that space. A lot of the wording…

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  17. Debate contribution: Display of Flags and Emblems Bill: Second Stage

    I begin by acknowledging the work that the Member has put into bringing the Bill before the House. That is important, because I do not want my concerns about the Bill to be interpreted as suggesting that there is not a problem here; there absolutely is. Flags should not be used to intimidate people, to mark territory…

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  18. Debate contribution: Display of Flags and Emblems Bill: Second Stage

    Thank you. Even with a Minister who is, ideally, fully committed to the Bill's objectives, does the Bill sponsor really think that DFI has the capacity to meet the Bill's objectives in its current format? Existing laws have obviously been tentatively used, given the real complexity of the issue, with particular…

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  19. Debate contribution: Display of Flags and Emblems Bill: Second Stage

    The Member makes a very good point. My understanding of it is that the portion that is on DFI property — or public property, if you like — should be subject to that type of Bill. I am not sure that private property should be treated any differently if it is within very close range of the street, any street furniture…

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  20. Debate contribution: Display of Flags and Emblems Bill: Second Stage

    I thank the Member for giving way. Knowing what we now know, and having read the blue pages in front of us, can the Member set out what is in the Bill, if the same situation were to happen again, to enable that billboard at the Egyptian Arch to be taken down in a more timely manner? All that I see in the Bill is that…

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  21. Debate contribution: Display of Flags and Emblems Bill: Second Stage

    • Mr Paul Frew DUP
    • Private Members' Business

    I thank the Member for giving way. It could be that it goes right to the very top because the Bill does not define who actually makes the final decision: who decides or has an "opinion" on what is a good flag, a bad flag, a bad billboard or a good billboard. It could, however, be a local office. It could be a regional…

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  22. Debate contribution: Display of Flags and Emblems Bill: Second Stage

    Thank you. I think that you have just made my argument for me. I want to see a robust, workable, consistent Bill, which will hopefully become an Act of the Assembly, in place, so that, regardless of who the Infrastructure Minister is in the next mandate or beyond, the general, wider public knows exactly how flags will…

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  24. Debate contribution: Display of Flags and Emblems Bill: Second Stage

    I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Bill, but, first, I will address a comment that I heard last week from the Alliance Benches. It was, in my view, a typical Alliance response to what were well-articulated comments on the unworkability of the Bill, and my colleague has ably made more such…

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  25. Debate contribution: Display of Flags and Emblems Bill: Second Stage

    • Mr Paul Frew DUP
    • Private Members' Business

    I thank the Bill sponsor for her intervention. That is useful. I will close on this, because I have previously spoken at length on the issue. I worry about the Bill. I do not believe that it would do what it says on the blue pages. I believe that it would create further tension and difficulties in our communities. One…

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