Mr. Glyn Roberts:

To answer Deputy Crowe's first question, no tourist or shopper has been injured as a result of the protests. That is a very important point to get across. We met the chief constable last week and that is one of the first things he said. Issues arise as to getting policing right. I recognise the PSNI is an incredibly difficult position. At times, it is caught in the middle and trying to ensure roads are kept open. There are steps the police need to take. I understand the force is reconsidering its tactics in this area.

With regard to Belfast being a shared city, the Deputy is correct. It illustrates why we need an effective shared-future strategy. Ultimately, a shared future is about an economically sustainable future. Companies will not invest in divided societies. Some of the worst aspects of unemployment and poverty are associated with interfaces in Belfast. We must, therefore, try to ensure balanced and sustainable economic development that does not just benefit one community; it should benefit all communities. In east Belfast, particularly areas such as Short Strand and Lower Newtownards Road, there is a lot more we need to do to ensure we have the right skill set in the communities such that they can take advantage of the developing Titanic quarter and other opportunities that exist. Since I come not far from that area, I realise educational underachievement is a considerable issue.

On the question on public transport, we have engaged with Translink. It is very keen to do what it can but ultimately it must consider the safety of its drivers. A number of buses have been hijacked. This is an incredibly difficult set of circumstances.

However, the top priority obviously is to keep the roads open. This is a problem in that reports become widespread that every road in Belfast is blocked, but this is not the case. While some main roads are, most of the main arterial routes through the city centre are actually open. It is just that when this situation happens, there are misconceptions, the rumour mill starts and then people do not go out. We must challenge that and state that we have some fantastic retailers and world-class restaurants. Moreover, there will be lots of offers on in Belfast over the next two weekends and we hope this will entice people in. However, we must try to get this issue off the streets. The political parties must all sit down to resolve this issue. The protesters obviously have grievances and the only way to deal with the political problem is to let the political parties come up with a political solution. This is the only way we will tackle this problem effectively and I hope we can continue to do this. We will not solve the problem of reduced footfall in the city centre until the protest issue is resolved. It is not for us to comment on its causes or, if one likes, "the capital P politics" as to the reason this happened, but as business representatives, it is important that we point out the disruption to trade.