The Orange Order was challenged today to make a contribution to the peace process by stopping attempts to march through Catholic areas.
Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said while the IRA, loyalists, political parties and governments have made significant steps forward over the last 15 years, he claimed the Orange Order has refused to budge.
Delivering a speech at the annual Wolfe Tone commemoration at Bodenstown, Co Kildare, the Sinn Féin MP said the leadership of the Orange Order can no longer abdicate its responsibilities.
“Now is the time for the Orange Order to step forward,” said Mr McGuinness.
“There are hundreds of Orange Parades each year. Only a few cause controversy. It is these I want to focus on."
“The days of republicans stretching ourselves and our communities to maintain calm in the face of sectarian provocation cannot last forever. It is time for the issue of contested parades to be dealt with once and for all,” he added
Stormont’s Deputy First Minister called on the Orange Order to declare they will no longer seek to force parades through catholic areas and risk bringing violence onto our streets.
“Anything less from the Orange Order is an abdication of their responsibility and will have to be viewed as such by both governments and in such a scenario that means a clear statement from both that nationalist communities will no longer be subjected to these sorts of triumphalist parades and measures taken to ensure that this happens,” he added.
An Orange Order spokesman said the Deputy First Minister’s comments were a disappointing attack on the Protestant community.
“For years, Sinn Féin policy has been to make life as difficult as possible for parade organisers,” the spokesman claimed.
“They have totally failed to understand that parading is an integral part of the Protestant culture. The Orange Order is working very hard to make its parades more family friendly and welcoming, particularly to tourists, and these remarks from the Deputy First Minister are extremely unhelpful.”
Elsewhere, the MP told Sinn Féin members from all over the country the Fianna Fáil and Green coalition has lost its moral authority to govern.
Mr McGuinness said the Government was sent a strong and clear message from the people in the recent elections that it needs to go, adding a new political alliance for change must be built to turn the country around.
“Sinn Féin stands with the real, everyday patriots in Ireland — those carrying out the vital jobs and frontline services that keeps our society together — the teachers, the nurses, the carers, the community workers and the small business people who provide the bulk of employment in this state,” he said.
“These are Ireland’s real patriots, not the corrupt bankers, dodgy developers, speculators, overpaid Ministers and tax exile billionaires. These elements, aided by this government, have worked against the national interest and damaged our international reputation.”
PA