A DUP attempt to urge the removal of a Sinn Fein policing body chairperson over alleged Garvaghy Road conduct has “failed”.

The council row flared as the NI Policing Board has yet to respond to an urgent letter requesting it review councillors’ potential involvement in an “unlawful protest” in Portadown.

However, following legal advice in the Lisburn and Castlereagh chamber, part of the conduct proposal was withdrawn with Alliance abstaining on any further conduct reviews.

Lisburn South DUP Alderman Paul Porter said: ”At the emergency meeting, the information was vague, we didn’t know exactly who was going to receive their letters or phone calls from the police.

DUP urge Policing Board to ask Sinn Fein Councillor Declan Lynch, Chair of Lisburn and Castlereagh PCSP, to step aside as investigation is carried out into his involvement in the Garvaghy Road protests. Pic credit: LCCC

placeholder image — DUP urge Policing Board to ask Sinn Fein Councillor Declan Lynch, Chair of Lisburn and Castlereagh PCSP, to step aside as investigation is carried out into his involvement in the Garvaghy Road protests. Pic credit: LCCC

“We then fast forward to October 19, and we have the chair of the PCSPs (Policing and Community Safety Partnerships) posting on Facebook, Councillor Lynch, confirming, and I quote, ‘I have received a letter from the PSNI’, and he also confirms that he will attend an interview in the period ahead.

“Remember this is about a protest that the police called ‘unlawful’.

“The last few weeks have been an absolutely challenging time for politics in Northern Ireland. It’s also a challenge for our local PCSP.

“I had hoped that, without prejudice, any member who was contacted by the police, and then, subsequent interviewed, would have stood down until those investigations took place.

“What I’m led to believe is that no members have done that. I believe it is a sad and difficult day for the council.

“We can do everything we can to restore public confidence, and also to show leadership, and sometimes leadership is lacking.”

The new proposal by Alderman Porter asked for the PCSP and the NI Policing Board separately to “urgently consider” whether Councillor Lynch should be requested to “step aside temporarily as PCSP chair while any PSNI investigation is ongoing”.

Lisburn North Sinn Fein councillor Declan Lynch said: ”You speak of a challenging time, it absolutely was a challenging time, for the residents of Garvaghy Road who didn’t want, and didn’t need this brought upon them again, after 28 years.

“I stand by my own actions. I am chair of the PCSP and I’m carrying out my job as I am asked to do and I won’t be stepping down.

“I want to make it clear that I continue to stand with the residents of Garvaghy Road.”

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Castlereagh South Alliance councillor Jamie Harper said: ”I just want to put Alliance’s position on the records.

“I think it’s wrong as a council that we pre-judge any ongoing criminal investigation that’s going on by the PSNI.

“We’ve already written a letter to the Commissioner about this. I don’t understand where this is coming from. I think this is just typical political point scoring. We’re all very much aware that elections are just around the corner.

“It doesn’t make any sense. I think we already made our position really clear, as a council, and as such Alliance is going to be abstaining on this.”

The proposal was amended to remove the PCSP request, but the request to write to the NI Policing Board was voted through with 18 in favour, six against, and 11 abstaining.