Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Ba mhaith liom beannachtaí na bliana úra a bhronnadh ar an Tánaiste agus ar bhaill an Rialtais go léir. Tá súil agam go raibh sos maith acu. Mar is eol dóibh, ní bhfuair pobal an Trá Ghearr i mBéal Feirste sos ar bith le linn na seachtaine seo chaite.

I am sure the Tánaiste is concerned about events that occurred in recent weeks in the North. While these events should not be exaggerated, they show the need for constant and consistent support for both the political and peace processes and - despite all its other obligations - for the Government to focus on matters of this nature. The Tánaiste will be aware that the Good Friday Agreement states that symbols and emblems should be used in a manner which promotes mutual respect rather than division. This recognises the reality that there are two flags to which the vast majority of people in the Six Counties give their allegiance, namely, the Union flag and the Irish tricolour. For this reason, some councils fly no flags while at Stormont and at other councils' buildings the Union flag flies on designated days only.

Belfast City Council took legal advice on this issue. In addition, it received advice from the Equality Commission and an equality impact assessment was carried out. The decision made in December was in keeping with the advice, etc., received and, ironically enough, with the protocols which obtain in Britain. It was a democratic decision and was entirely proper and appropriate. Democratic and peaceful opposition to it would also be proper. I am sure the Tánaiste will agree, however, that the violent sectarian reaction is entirely wrong, that the illegal protests must be brought to an end before someone is killed and that the attacks on the Short Strand community need to stop. I visited Short Strand on Sunday and the Deputy First Minister is there today. Short Strand is a community under siege. There have been 16 illegal loyalist marches in recent weeks and also countless sectarian interface protests.

Since the recent violence began, the Deputy First Minister has - as the Tánaiste, in light of the fact that his Department has been in contact with the Executive in the North, will be aware - has been endeavouring to bring about all-party opposition to the violence and the protests and continues to do so. The Tánaiste will recall that when two British soldiers were killed in 2009 and when two PSNI officers were killed sometime later, Martin McGuinness stood shoulder to shoulder with Peter Robinson and, in an extremely robust way, set out opposition to those dreadful events. He also led a robust all-party and cross-community response. There was no equivocation. A similar all-party approach is again required.

I ask the Tánaiste to join in calling for an all-party, cross-community response in order to bring these illegal and violent protests to an end. I also ask him to visit east Belfast tomorrow - I presume he will do so - and meet the people there, particularly those who live in the Short Strand area and in the loyalist areas adjacent to it.

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