Alliance Commits To Stormont Agreement

The Alliance Party has said it is committed to the implementation of the Stormont House Agreement, which has been drafted to deal with outstanding political issues in Northern Ireland.

The party said the Agreement falls "short of the public's ambitions on key issues such as parades and flags," but has given its backing.

The Agreement follows all-party talks to resolve issues surrounding flags, parades, the past and finances that culminated on 23 December.

A £2bn package was agreed with the British government following the resolution of issues such as welfare reform.

But MLAs were still unable to reach an agreement on the flying of flags and parades.

Alliance Leader David Ford said: "At a meeting on Thursday night, the Alliance Executive committed the Party to the implementation of the Stormont House Agreement. However, the Executive echoed my concerns that too much of the document merely reflects 'a deal to do a deal'. It is not the comprehensive agreement that Alliance had hoped for and falls short of the public's expectations.

"The real value of the agreement will only be known if and when it is implemented and outstanding issues are addressed. The work to turn the commitments into reality must begin immediately.

"The strongest aspect of the Agreement is the commitment to deal with the legacy of the past, which reflects longstanding Alliance proposals which we promoted during the talks. This package will finally offer the opportunity to deliver truth, justice and support services for victims and survivors, with a particular emphasis upon reconciliation.

"On the other side, we have real concerns that other aspects of the proposals reflect only a partial agreement. There was a missed opportunity to deliver a consistent Northern Ireland wide policy for the official display of flags, and we are left with the prospect of further discussion on parading with continuing problems."

(IT/CD)