G4S blooper keptflag off courthouse

A BLOOPER by security firm G4S resulted in the Union Flag not being flown at Londonderry Courthouse to mark the anniversary of the proclamation of Elizabeth II as Queen of the United Kingdom.

Justice Minister David Ford revealed: “The Union flag was not flown at Ballymena, Enniskillen, Londonderry and Dungannon Courthouses on February 6, 2013 due to an oversight by G4S Secure Solutions (UK) Limited (G4S), the security and ancillary services provider to the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service (NICTS).”

He said the issue was being addressed through “contract management mechanisms.”

Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) MLA Jim Allister asked the Minister to list all the courthouses that did not fly the Union flag on a designated day during the last twelve months.

Apart from the oversight on February 6 only one such incident occurred - this was on Armistice Day in Newtonards - and was due to access issues rather than error.

Mr Ford said: “There has been one other instance when the Union flag was not flown on a designated day in the last 12 months. This occurred at Newtownards Courthouse on Sunday, November 11, 2012, when G4S could not get access to the flagpole as contractors had inadvertently sealed the access window during repairs.

“G4S reported this to the NICTS site Premises Officer and the contractors were recalled to reinstate access.”

Last October before controversy ensued over Belfast City Council’s decision to limit the number of days on which the Union Flag is flown over Belfast City Hall the Sentinel reported it wasn’t flown at Stormont on the centenary of the Ulster Covenant because it would have breached the small print of a series of flag regulations introduced 13 years ago.

The date of the centenary was not included in a Flags Regulations (NI) Order 2000, according to SDLP MLA Pat Ramsey.

TUV MLA Jim Allister queried its absence at Stormont on September 29, 2012.

Mr Ramsey as Representative of the Assembly Commission, stated: “The Assembly Commission’s policy is to fly the Union Flag at Parliament Buildings on the dates specified within the Flags Regulations (NI) Order 2000. Those dates do not include the 29th September 2012.”

Last year the Sentinel also reported how Sinn Féin wanted to see the Irish tricolour hoisted at Stormont and that this was to be considered by the Assembly Commission, which included Londonderry MLAs William Hay and Pat Ramsey.