Boyle: Unfortunate that flags are used '˜to mark territory'

The former Coleraine councillor was speaking after the she visited a building site in Coleraine that hit the news on St Patrick’s Day when a tricolour flag appeared on a crane at the site.

She said: “I have spoken with the site supervisor. The PSNI has visited, and this private building site has CCTV in operation. The contractors responsible for the crane have been contacted regarding its removal.

“It is unfortunate that flags too often are used not to celebrate but to mark territory and antagonise others.

“It is perhaps predictable that flags have been put up around St Patrick’s Day, but this is an ongoing widespread issue across the constituency.

“How we manage the display of flags in Northern Ireland has unfortunately not been agreed on to date due to a reluctance by some politicians to negotiate.

“There has been ongoing excellent community work in the Heights and other areas to explore and defuse the issues of flags.

“There is also an eagerness in the community, both from our own Alliance surveys and ‘Life and Times’ research data, that people wish the flag issue to be resolved. However, there continues to be potential tensions on the ground when flags are displayed.

“For the next assembly term, Alliance wish to implement a regulatory system for flags, including licenses and agreed times for removal, for the flying of flags on lampposts.”