Examination of Witnesses (Questions 77
- 79)
TUESDAY 10 FEBRUARY 2004
MR ALISTAIR
SIMPSON, MR
DAVID HOEY,
MR IAIN
MCAFEE
AND MR
EDDIE KELLEY
Q77 Chairman: Gentlemen, welcome.
You are two different associations and maybe you will have different
views. It is perfectly in order for anybody to answer questions
which are put by the Committee and some of our questions actually
are aimed at one route, either the Apprentice Boys of Derry or
the Ulster Bands Association, but that does not limit anybody's
ability or desire to reply. It seems to be the general view that
2003 was the quietest marching season we have had for years. Is
that the experience of your two bodies?
Mr Simpson: Good morning, gentlemen.
My name is Alistair Simpson, former governor of the Apprentice
Boys of Derry. That seems to be the general view all over the
province. You have to ask why it has become the view. Although
it seems to be quieter, that is only the tip of the iceberg and
until law and order is grasped like a nettle and dealt with I
am afraid the whole thing could blow up within the next couple
of years again. There seems to have been a lot of papering over
the cracks, but I am sure as the questions go on we will be able
to tell you how we feel that law and order is not being dealt
with in a proper manner in Northern Ireland.
Q78 Chairman: I am talking now to
the Apprentice Boys of Derry. You suggest that the quiet 2003
season was nothing to do with the Parades Commission. What factors
would you therefore identify as contributing to the quiet season,
if it was not the efforts of the Parades Commission?
Mr Hoey: I think in the media
at the end of the summer it was certainly strongly hinted at that
Mr Trimble and Mr Adams had come to some sort of arrangement with
respect to parades over the summer, and Mr Adams probably has
the wherewithal to exert some influence within certain communities
to keep things quiet. It was quieter partly because the political
situation was somewhat quieter overall. People were looking at
an election coming up and perhaps did not want too much happening
on the streets. It had a lot more to do with the political necessities
of groups rather than it having to do with the Parades Commission.
There are fundamental issues where we cannot move on doing anything
with the Commission. We are waiting for a review of Quigley. We
have not been formally informed that there has been an extension
to the consultation period. We have not been asked to have a meeting
with reference to the consultation period. I think everybody is
waiting to see what happens.
Mr McAfee: I would agree that
it had more to do with the political developments and maybe the
behind the scenes negotiations and it was due to the elections,
etcetera, that was probably the main reason for the quieter year.
Q79 Chairman: It is interesting that
we had a situation of political limbo throughout the summer, the
elections had been postponed and the Assembly was suspended. Are
you suggesting that it was the desire of the political leaders
to get some sort of settlement in the autumn and then go on to
elections and in following that they thought it was in everybody's
interests not to have any trouble on the streets during the summer?
Have I summarised your thoughts correctly?
Mr Simpson: Yes, I think you have.
The politicians at the top wanted to make quite sure that they
could have an easy run in and consequently they tried to force
a settlement in their own areas so that they would have no bother.
It certainly had nothing to do with the Parades Commission.
Mr Hoey: Within the Unionist areas
there is a lot of dissatisfaction with direct rule. I think it
would be better to have direct rule and to have Martin McGuinness
in education and Bairbre de Brun running health. We are talking
about the grass-roots level and we are getting feedback from that.
There was neutrality with respect to the political process. They
saw that things were not as bad on the streets because there was
not that tension between the communities on a political level.
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