The comments made by Owen Paterson, the then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, on 15 July 2010.
When I was in the City last week I was hugely impressed by the quality of the bid to become the UK’s first City of Culture.
Those behind the bid have done a magnificent job and I congratulate them on this success.
For those who call this great place Londonderry and for those who call it Derry, they can be as one in their pride in this huge achievement.
The comments made by Owen Paterson, the then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, on 13 July 2010.
Along with Minister of State, Hugo Swire and Justice Minister David Ford, I watched events unfold late into the night before being briefed by the Chief Constable.
The contrast between the restraint and professionalism of the police who were there to maintain law and order and the mob which attacked them could not have been greater.
The Chief Constable and the Justice Minister should be justly proud of the incredibly brave men and women of the PSNI who held the line last night in the face of a sustained and violent assault.
It is vital that local people come forward with information to help their police service with its investigation.
The vast majority of gatherings pass off peacefully but there remain issues to be resolved around parading.
Northern Ireland has come so far because locally elected, locally accountable representatives have found the political will to resolve difficulties that not so long ago seemed insoluble.
I have no doubt that will be the case with parades.
But there will be those who will try to exploit and create community tensions.
They will not be allowed to put the future at risk.
The comments made by Owen Paterson, the then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, on 9 July 2010.
I am delighted to be here in the City today and reaffirm my full support for the UK City of Culture 2013 bid. In a City that boasts everything from the Undertones to Seamus Heaney, The Field Day Theatre Company, Dana, Phil Coulter and many others, a place that is home to talent, creativity, energy and strength the bid deserves every success. While some call it Londonderry and others Derry I’m sure what we want to learn is that this hugely impressive bid is successful next Thursday.
The statement made by Owen Paterson, the then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, in the House of Commons on 6 July 2010.
In anticipation of the publication of the report of the Billy Wright Inquiry, I have today asked a team of officials to commence the checking of the Inquiry’s report in relation to human rights and national security matters, as outlined below. I intend to adopt the same approach as was used for the checking of the report of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry.
I am responsible for publication of the Inquiry’s report, once it is delivered to me. I am advised that I have a duty, as a public authority under the Human Rights Act, to act in a way that is compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). To fulfil this duty, I need to take steps to satisfy myself that publication of the report will not breach Article 2 of the Convention by putting the lives or safety of individuals at risk. I am advised that these obligations must be met by me personally, in my capacity as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Although the Inquiry is also a public authority under the Human Rights Act, I am not entitled to rely on the Inquiry to satisfy my Article 2 obligations and I have a duty to assess this myself. I also have a duty to satisfy myself that publication will not put national security at risk, for example by disclosing details of sources of confidential information.
During the course of the Inquiry, the Government submitted to the Inquiry Panel some material that was relevant to its work but which was too sensitive to be disclosed publicly, usually because it contained information which had been provided to the security forces by individuals. If those individuals could be identified from the details they provided it would endanger their lives. I understand that the Inquiry Panel does not intend to refer to any material which would constitute a breach of Article 2, or compromise national security, but I have a duty to satisfy myself before publication that none of this material has inadvertently been revealed in the report. The Inquiry Panel also agreed that the identities of a small number of individuals who were engaged on highly sensitive duties should not be disclosed and I need to be assured that these individuals have not been identified.
I have established a small team of officials and legal advisers to assist me in carrying out this necessary exercise. The team will be led by the Northern Ireland Office’s principal legal adviser, but will need to include members drawn from the Ministry of Defence, Security Service, and PSNI who are familiar with the sensitive material provided to the Inquiry Panel, but they will be granted access to the report under strict terms of confidentiality and for the sole purpose of carrying out the necessary checks, and they will report directly to me alone. Lord MacLean has agreed that this team can carry out the necessary checks on the Inquiry’s premises while the report remains in his custody, before it is submitted to me. I have confirmed to Lord MacLean that I am content with this proposal. I understand that the report will be made available for checking today.
I believe that these checks are absolutely necessary in order to meet the legal obligations on me. Following the approach used for the checking of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry report, I have sought Lord MacLean’s permission to allow members of the Inquiry legal team to be present during the checking process, to which Lord MacLean has agreed. At all times, members of the Inquiry legal team will be acting as representatives of the Inquiry and not as advisers to me or the checking team.
I want to publish the report in its entirety. Should any concerns about the safety of any individual arise, my first course of action would be to consider whether these can be addressed through alternative means. Were I to reach the conclusion, on advice, that a redaction to the text might be necessary, I would consult Lord MacLean. In the very unlikely event that any redaction was deemed necessary, my intention would be to make this clear on the face of the report.
The report must be published first for this House, and I intend to publish the report as soon as possible once the checking process has been completed. However, I acknowledge the importance of this Inquiry’s findings in the lives of a number of individuals. As with the publication of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry report, I intend to consider giving advance sight to those who were designated as Represented Parties by the Inquiry. I intend to discuss this with the Speaker of this House in due course.
The statement made by Brandon Lewis, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, on 23 July 2021.
The Omagh bombing was a terrible atrocity that caused untold damage to the families of the 29 people who were tragically killed and the 220 who were injured. The reverberations of that awful event were felt not just in Northern Ireland, but across the world.
I want to put on record my deep regret that the families of those killed and wounded have had to wait so long to find out what happened on that terrible day in 1998. They deserve answers and I have great respect for their patience, grace and determination.
We recognise that today the Court has set out that there are ‘plausible allegations that there was a real prospect of preventing the Omagh bombing’ and that more should be done to investigate this.
The UK Government will take time to consider the judge’s statement and all its recommendations carefully as we wait for the full judgment to be published.
The comments made by Louise Haigh, the Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, on 15 July 2021.
The Government have serious questions to answer over the legality of their amnesty proposals. They must publish the legal advice they have received.
Pressing ahead with proposals which undermine the rule of law, lack the support of victims, any political party in Northern Ireland or the Irish Government, would be divisive and undermine reconciliation.
There must be a comprehensive legacy process as outlined at Stormont House, with families able to discover the truth, through effective investigations with full police powers. Ministers must not unilaterally abandon that.
The comments made by Louise Haigh, the Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, on 9 July 2021.
Lyra McKee is an inspiration to me and so many across these islands and around the world. She was a tolerant, progressive voice for change.
It was such an honour to walk across the Peace Bridge with Lyra’s partner, Sara Canning. Out of terrible grief and trauma, she is building on Lyra’s remarkable legacy and continues to show incredible courage in speaking out.
The work to build on the promise of peace depends on all of us standing squarely alongside those like Sara.
The comments made by Keir Starmer, the Leader of the Opposition, on 9 July 2021.
Lyra McKee was the very best of Northern Ireland. She dreamt of a future of equality and reconciliation.
Lyra’s partner, Sara Canning has fought a determined campaign for justice. Her determination to build on Lyra’s legacy, and to build a lasting peace, is humbling and demands all our support.
I was honoured to cross the Peace Bridge, a symbol of reconciliation between two communities, with Sara.
The comments made by Brandon Lewis, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, on 24 June 2021.
Our Trees for Schools initiative fulfills our promise of building back greener across the United Kingdom and, in addition to marking the Centenary, leaves a positive environmental legacy for the people of Northern Ireland.
This great opportunity is open to every school in Northern Ireland, and over one thousand trees will be offered to mark this significant year for Northern Ireland and the whole of the UK.
I would like to thank Craigmore Trees for delivering this important project for the benefit of Northern Ireland’s schoolchildren and generations to come.
The comments made by Louise Haigh, the Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, on 22 June 2021.
There is a direct line from the Prime Minister’s dishonesty over the deal he negotiated, to the instability we see in Northern Ireland today.
The Prime Minister pledged never to put barriers down the Irish Sea and then a few months later did exactly that – this dishonesty is still having real consequences.
Five years on from the referendum, it is not too late for the Prime Minister to show some responsibility, agree solutions that make the protocol work, and protect the precious Good Friday Agreement.