FICT Report: Work Plan

Oral Answers to Questions — The Executive Office – in the Northern Ireland Assembly at 2:00 pm on 19 April 2021.

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Photo of Paula Bradshaw Paula Bradshaw Alliance 2:00, 19 April 2021

2. Ms Bradshaw asked the First Minister and deputy First Minister when the detailed work plan, including resource and funding implications, of their Department's response to the report of the Commission on Flags, Identity, Culture and Tradition (FICT) will be completed. (AQO 1878/17-22)

Photo of Arlene Foster Arlene Foster DUP

With your permission, Mr Speaker, junior Minister Lyons will answer the question.

Photo of Gordon Lyons Gordon Lyons DUP

As agreed by the Executive on 25 March, the FICT working group has started engagement with Departments to develop a FICT work plan for Executive consideration. Subject to any emerging pressures, the work will be completed over the coming months.

Photo of Paula Bradshaw Paula Bradshaw Alliance

Thank you for the response. I am conscious that a lot of work went into the development of the draft report, including the stakeholder engagement. Going forward, will representatives of different sections of society be on that working group, and what input will councils have?

Photo of Gordon Lyons Gordon Lyons DUP

I thank the commission for the work in which it has been involved. It produced a comprehensive report with many recommendations.

We have decided that a whole-of-Executive approach should be taken, because we want the maximum buy-in. It is only when we all work together that we will get some of the results that we want to see and get buy-in from everybody . We want the Executive as a whole leading on it, rather than just the Executive Office. Of course, as we develop a plan and consider implementation, it may be appropriate to engage with other outside bodies and agencies, including councils. The working group is prepared to look at all that and engage where necessary.

Photo of Pat Catney Pat Catney Social Democratic and Labour Party

Given the recent violence on our streets, does the Minister feel that other important resources, such as the anti-poverty strategy, must be considered as part of the implementation of any outcomes from the Commission on Flags, Identity, Culture and Tradition?

Photo of Gordon Lyons Gordon Lyons DUP

First and foremost, it is important that we condemn the violence from wherever it comes and wherever it happens. As a House, I think, we have been united on that. There are many causes for some of the disturbances and violence that we have seen lately, and those need to be addressed in different ways. FICT will play an important part in that. It is about recognising people's identity and culture and making sure that they feel supported in that. FICT has a role to play in all that, but by no means will it be the silver bullet.

Photo of Pat Sheehan Pat Sheehan Sinn Féin

I welcome the progress that has been made on the FICT report. Increased equality, respect and parity of esteem must be the outworkings of that report.

As we all know, functioning North/South structures are critical for the successful operation of the Good Friday Agreement. The cancellation of a number of recent meetings because of the refusal of unionist Ministers to attend was a retrograde step. Does the Minister agree that playing politics with the Good Friday Agreement is disrespectful to the people who voted for it and risks undermining the agreement itself?

Photo of Gordon Lyons Gordon Lyons DUP

I congratulate the Member on being able to turn a question on the Commission on Flags, Identity, Culture and Tradition into a question about the North/South Ministerial Council. I think that he knows that one has nothing to do with the other. Our position has been made clear: when the meetings take place, they need to take place at an agreed time and the papers need to be agreed.

The Member raised the interesting matter of the Good Friday Agreement. A lot of Members around the House are not concerned about the outworkings of the Good Friday Agreement, the consent principle and Northern Ireland's place in the United Kingdom. I urge the Member to recognise those parts of the Good Friday Agreement as well and, in particular, the problems that the protocol is causing and work with others to sort them out.

Photo of Christopher Stalford Christopher Stalford DUP

Identity, culture and tradition are important, as are functioning institutions of government. Does the Minister agree that it was disrespectful to refuse to turn up for work for three years?

Photo of Gordon Lyons Gordon Lyons DUP

I think that we can all agree that three years of no government was detrimental to people across Northern Ireland. Many of the issues that we need to see addressed in our society could have been progressed had we had a functioning Government in Northern Ireland. All Members should reflect on that and recognise the problems that that caused.