Shaw seeks to recall forum

And Seacourt Community Council chairman Bertie Shaw’s suggestion has attracted widespread agreement.

After the Larne Times reported exclusively PUP spokesman Billy Adamson’s claim last week that dissident republicans had raised a tricolour at the Moyle Hospital and daubed graffiti in the town, Mr Shaw said he felt it was time to reconvene the Good Relations Forum that brokered agreement on contentious flags, murals and kerb painting in the past.

The forum had no remit on Larne council policy on flying Union or Ulster flags.

“At that time we sat down and had parallel talks – we were not all in the same room at the same time – and agreed a protocol on flags and emblems,” he said.

“From my own point of view, I thought it was a stepping stone to try and eradicate the flags issue in its entirety and we did minimise it as much as humanly possible, but since then it has gone stale. It is just generally accepted that there will be flags in communities.”

Mr Shaw said the forum had not met for over a year, adding: “I think there is no better time than now to get the forum going again and get talking with each other and with the statutory agencies. I think we need to re-focus our efforts because I see it slipping back towards the bad old days.”

The YMCA-brokered talks, with the involvement of Mediation Northern Ireland, achieved a significant reduction in the display of paramilitary and other flags and emblems. There was agreement on the number and type of emblems to be displayed in certain areas. In Seacourt, for example, the Irish tricolour and the flags of the four provinces are flown on designated days.

Mr Shaw said he did not believe mediation would be required this time round.

“I think we have all moved on and there is no reason why all the community people can’t sit down with each other at this stage because we have been doing it and continuing to communicate with each other on a different level. I think we all have to be in the one room,” he said.

Mr Adamson said this week he would back the reconstitution of the forum. Referring to those who had put up the tricolour at the hospital and daubed pro-dissident republican slogans, the PUP man said: “I would have no problem in speaking to those who think they need to do this. I have no problem engaging with them to see where they are coming from.”

He said his comments of the previous week had been intended as “an appeal to them to try and move forward”.

Mr Adamson added: “I am appealing to young nationalists in the town not to take us back to the bad old days of slogans all round the town.”

DUP mayor Bobby McKee also supported Mr Shaw’s initiative, saying: “The only way to make progress is by talking and through mutual respect and the progress we have all made on the issue of flags and emblems is the shining example of it.

“The proliferation of flags and kerb painting and the like is no longer an issue in Larne and it was only achieved by the very hard work and cooperation of the community groups.”

The SDLP’s Danny O’Connor said: “I would have no problem with the Good Relations Forum being reconstituted, but it would be dependant on people acting with good will.”

UUP councillor Andy Wilson said his party would be “open to suggestions”.

Sinn Fein spokesman Oliver McMullan, who was on the original forum, said: “I would happy to sit down and talk as long as there is transparency and everything is not done behind closed doors. I think the public should be informed of what is being discussed and there should be no secrets.”