Northern Ireland

Executive Office accused of ignoring assembly by failing to publish long-awaited flags and identity report

The Commission on Flags, Identity, Culture and Tradition was set-up in 2016
The Commission on Flags, Identity, Culture and Tradition was set-up in 2016 The Commission on Flags, Identity, Culture and Tradition was set-up in 2016

STORMONT's Executive Office has been accused of ignoring the will of a majority of MLAs by failing to publish its long-awaited report on flags and identity.

Colin McGrath, chair of the scrutiny committee for the first and deputy first minister's joint office, blamed "continual infighting" for the delay.

The SDLP MLA wrote to assembly speaker Alex Maskey last month asking why Paul Givan and Michelle O'Neill had not heeded the wishes of MLAs, who earlier this year called for the Commission on Flags, Identity, Culture and Tradition's (FICT) report to be made public.

The commission was set-up in 2016 and submitted its report to the Executive Office (TEO) in July last year.

In March, the assembly supported an Alliance motion calling for the report's publication, alongside an SDLP amendment calling for the executive to also "honour their commitments" within the New Decade, New Approach deal that restored power-sharing in January 2020.

The motion committed the parties to establishing an Office of Identity and Cultural Expression, which would deal with issues tackled by the flags commission.

However, in his response to Mr McGrath, the speaker has conceded that the assembly is powerless to enforce MLAs' resolutions.

A spokesperson for Mr Maskey told The Irish News that only through legislation "can the assembly place an obligation on a minister or their department to carry out specific actions.”

The SDLP MLA said he had anticipated the speaker's response but that it was "nonetheless disappointing".

"The vote taken in the assembly clearly established the political will of the majority of MLAs, and therefore the will of the public to see this report published and implemented," he said.

"However, once again, the lack of transparency and continual infighting within our Executive Office is stymying our ability to address key cultural and identity issues and the public will suffer as a result of this."

TEO established a working group at the time of the assembly vote, that it says includes junior ministers, special advisers and officials who will "consider issues in relation to the report".

"Decisions on the publication of the FICT report will be matters for all executive ministers working together,” a TEO spokesperson said.