Source · Select Committees · Northern Ireland Affairs Committee
Recommendation 2
2
Deferred
Paragraph: 25
Urge Executive to support communities addressing paramilitary murals and flags
Recommendation
Memorials, commemorative artefacts and flags glorifying paramilitary groups serve as a visual signifier of the coercive control that such groups attempt to have over communities and can retraumatise the victims and survivors of paramilitary violence. The PSNI does not always have sufficient political support to remove paramilitary flags. We urge the Executive, when fully restored, to support communities to address the continued presence of paramilitary murals, as per the recommendation in the 2021 Commission on Flags, Identity, Culture and Tradition (FICT) Report, whilst cognisant of the need to ensure any fresh obligations placed on the police and public authorities are reasonable.
Government Response Summary
The government response completely deflects from the recommendation concerning paramilitary murals, instead discussing engagement between DWP and DfC on social security, credit services, and the development of a childcare strategy for Northern Ireland.
Paragraph Reference:
25
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on a range of issues, including discussing the important issues raised by the Committee’s report and will ensure any actions agreed are shared with the Department for Communities. The Department for Communities (DfC) leads on social security policy in Northern Ireland and regularly engages with the Department for Work and Pensions on matters like policy development, planned legislative changes, alignment of computer systems and anything else affecting the social security, child maintenance and pensions landscape in Great Britain. DfC can then make decisions on whether they wish to maintain parity. The Committee may wish to note that in relation to connecting people to existing credit services, the NI Direct website offers a focused section on cost of living, providing information and advice on credit service options and childcare support available. • On the issue of a child care strategy for Northern Ireland, the development of an Early Learning and Childcare Strategy for Northern Ireland has been identified as a priority by the restored Executive. Work to develop this is ongoing and will be informed by consideration of the childcare support available in other jurisdictions. The UK Government stands ready to support the Northern Ireland Civil Service by sharing knowledge, expertise and examples of good practice elsewhere in the UK.