Politicians want more input into community relations: study

Politicians want a more 'hands-on' role in the implementation of community relations programmes in Northern Ireland, according to research published today.

The University of Ulster/INCORE project, which examined the views of politicians on community relations, found that a majority of politicians believed that elected representatives should be given a greater role in public bodies tasked with the management of community relations work. However, many acknowledged the need for safeguards to be set in place in order to avoid a politicisation of community relations programmes.

On the other hand, community and public sector representatives interviewed for the project argued against politicians exercising majority control over the Community Relations Council (CRC) for a number of reasons - including a fear that political disagreement or instability could impact on community relations programmes in some circumstances.

Commenting on the findings, INCORE’s Frank Foley said: “The study shows a consensus that, despite good initiatives taken by some individuals, building good relations and a more integrated society does not feature highly on most politicians’ list of priorities.

"The survey indicates that 50% of elected representatives themselves accept that politicians are not doing enough to support the development of better community relations.”

(MB/GMCG)