Talks aimed at resolving the Drumcree parade dispute resumed on Thursday evening, with a legal action over the contentious march postponed to support that process.
asserted
action → aim → process
Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant has arrived at Hillsborough Castle with representatives from the Orange Order and Garvaghy Road residents due to to re-engage with officials on day five of the stand-off.
asserted
Bryant → arrive → off
The Portadown District of the unionist Orange Order wants to complete its traditional route for the first time in almost 30 years after the Parades Commission ruled they should be allowed along the Garvaghy Road, but the coalition of residents in the largely nationalist area is opposed to the march going ahead.
However, the lead spokesman for the Garvaghy Road residents says their position has not changed.
asserted
position → want → residents
The Orange Order’s delegation for the talks contained Portadown District master Nigel Dawson and their legal adviser, loyalist activist Jamie Bryson.
asserted
delegation → contain → Dawson
Earlier, Crowds had gathered on road in Portadown, Co Armagh, on Thursday, including former Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams.
asserted
Crowds → gather → Adams
Just before 5pm on Thursday, Breandan Mac Cionnaith, of the Garvaghy Road Residents’ Coalition, told those gathered that he was setting off for talks.
asserted
he → tell → talks
“I don’t know what the play is, we’ll be leaving here in about 10 minutes so just to bring you up to speed,” he said.
asserted
he → know → speed
“We only got notified about this a short while ago.
asserted
We → notify → this
I don’t know what time we’ll get back from there yet tonight, it might be possible for us to brief you at that time, but it could be 10pm, it could be 12 o’clock.
uncertain
it → know → time
“No matter what you hear, our position remains the same.
asserted
position → hear → what
There is no change in our position, so hopefully we’ll get tonight over and there isn’t far to go.”
asserted
we → be → tonight
Elsewhere on Thursday, the Northern Ireland Policing Board heard the PSNI operation around the parading dispute has topped £3 million so far.
asserted
operation → hear → million
Chief Constable Jon Boutcher faced questions at the Northern Ireland Policing Board on day five of the impasse.
asserted
Boutcher → face → impasse
A major policing operation was put in place at the weekend when a court challenge to the determination by the Parades Commission to allow the Drumcree parade to proceed along the Garvaghy Road failed.
asserted
parade → put → Road
While the visible policing presence has since reduced, Mr Boutcher described the situation in Portadown as “remaining challenging and complex”, but said despite very significant tensions, there has been no violence and nobody has been injured.
asserted
nobody → reduce → tensions
He said the cost of the policing operation has been £3 million, but warned of the consequences and further costs “if they get it wrong”.
asserted
it → say → consequences
He contended the consequences of police forcing an Orange Order march down the Garvaghy Road “could be catastrophic” for Northern Ireland.
uncertain
police → contend → Ireland
“The parade could not safely be facilitated on Sunday September 27, because of an unnotified protest that blocked the route.
uncertain
that → facilitate → route
Officers repeatedly engaged with those involved and issued warnings,” he said.
asserted
he → engage → warnings
“We considered a range of options, but assessed that the use of force required to clear the road risked serious harm and an escalation into disorder.
asserted
use → consider → disorder
Mr Boutcher also made it clear there will be “consequences” for those who blocked the Garvaghy Road on Sunday.
asserted
who → make → Sunday
He added that investigations into law-breaking are “well under way” and will be “expedited”.
asserted
investigations → add → way
Mr Boutcher was asked at the Policing Board why an intervention by Sir Chris had not been sought.
asserted
intervention → ask → Chris
“The board simply needs to be reassured that I am constantly reviewing that position,” he said.
asserted
he → need → position
We are creating the time to resolve this, and that is in the interests of everyone.”
asserted
that → create → everyone
Sir Chris had been involved in talks since Monday and proposed a document for discussion in a bid to break the impasse.
asserted
Chris → involve → impasse
On Wednesday, after hours of talks around Sir Chris’s proposed paper, Mr Mac Cionnaith said they would back it if the Orange Order did.
asserted
Order → propose → it
However, DUP Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart told the Press Association in Portadown on Wednesday night that the proposed deal was “not acceptable”.
asserted
deal → tell → night
Speaking in Dublin on Thursday, Sinn Féin president Mary-Lou McDonald said it is “critical” that there is no Orange Order march on the Garvaghy Road.
asserted
it → speak → Road
Ms McDonald slammed who she termed as “disruptive wreckers to try and set that clock back”.
asserted
she → slam → clock
She said those residents opposed include a 93-year-old woman who she said came to live on the Garvaghy Road after Catholic and nationalist families were burnt out of other areas.
asserted
families → say → areas
She added that she wished the talks “fair speed and fair wind”, but said a conclusion “needs to be brought”.
“And the answer to this is to make absolutely clear that there will be no Orange march on the Garvaghy Road,” she said.
asserted
she → add → Road
“If the talks can arrive at that, that’s great but remember, if not, the British Secretary of State has the power under the 1998 Parades and Processions Act to simply put a stop to this march, and that’s what he should do.
asserted
he → arrive → what
“As a matter of fact, we put it to the Secretary of State that that’s what he should have done at the very, very outset.”
asserted
he → put → outset
The Policing Board also heard earlier of an investigation into whether Sinn Féin board member Deirdre Hargey has breached the board’s code of conduct by allegedly taking part in a protest on the Garvaghy Road.
uncertain
Hargey → hear → Road
However, board chairman Brendan Mullan permitted Ms Hargey to remain in the meeting.
asserted
Hargey → permit → meeting
DUP board member Trevor Clarke requested at the start of the meeting that Ms Hargey be excluded because she had been at an “unlawful assembly” on the Garvaghy Road, and that there is a “clear conflict of interest” in her remaining while the Drumcree dispute is discussed.
asserted
dispute → request → interest
Mr Mullan said it was his view that all political representatives have an interest in the matters unfolding on Garvaghy Road, but that their “interest is not in conflict with their role as a board member”.
asserted
interest → say → member
He contended Ms Hargey would be conflicted if she raised questions in relation to prosecutions arising from the protest, but given it is an ongoing police operation, no member should raise questions regarding specific prosecutions, adding: “Therefore no conflict arises.”
asserted
conflict → contend → prosecutions
The Aporia
