Empey calls on Goggins to hold Summit Meeting on campaign against Orange Halls
After meeting with Orange Order Leaders last week on the on-going campaign against Orange Halls and following attacks on Friday evening and Sunday morning, Ulster Unionist Party Leader Sir Reg Empey today called for Security Minister Paul Goggins to hold a ‘summit’ meeting with the Police with a view to tackling the escalating problem.
Sir Reg said the government has been too complacent in their approach to the attacks. In a statement Sir Reg said,
‘I met with Orange Order Leaders last week to discuss the ongoing campaign against halls owned and operated by the Loyal Orders. Following this meeting, at which compelling evidence of a ‘campaign’ was produced, I wrote to both the Secretary of State and the Chief Constable.
It is now clear that what has been happening, especially this year, constitutes a deliberate and orchestrated campaign, whose motivation is blatantly sectarian. No other explanation is credible. Despite this evidence, the Loyal Orders face obstacles in obtaining compensation for these attacks. I have called on Shaun Woodward to change the law immediately to make it easier for claims to be paid for this destruction. So far the NIO has taken no action.’
I also called on the chief constable to take a more sympathetic approach to issuing Chief Constable’s certificates, which are essential if compensation is to be forthcoming.
The events over the weekend illustrate that there are still those out there who still feel that they can cause trouble and hope to provoke retaliation. There is far too much complacency about the government’s response to this ongoing threat to stability. That is why I am issuing a call for Security Minister Paul Goggins to call a summit meeting with the Police and the Orange Order to effectively tackle this problem which has the potential to destabilise communities in Northern Ireland.
It’s time for action by the PSNI and the NIO to bring this campaign to an end.”