Stormont’s £800,000 Flags and Bonfires Report Remains Unimplemented After Three Years

A Stormont report, costing £800,000 and intended to resolve disagreements concerning flags and bonfires, has yet to be put into practice nearly three years following its release. The document, produced by the Commission on Flags, Identity, Culture and Tradition (FICT), became public in December 2021. A dedicated working group established to examine its recommendations has not convened for over two years. According to the Executive Office, the FICT report is slated for consideration within an ongoing review of its community relations strategy. Professor Dominic Bryan, who serves as co-chair of the commission, expressed that he was “disappointed that it hasn’t moved faster”. He stated, “There are some areas where we had agreement across all the political parties, such as on bonfires, where there really could be advances made.” The academic from Queen’s University Belfast conveyed his hope that the report would not be left “on a shelf”. He remarked, “We put a lot of resources into it, people put a lot of time and effort into it.” He added, “Having got a cross-party agreement on things, I really think it’s worth holding onto and taking forward.” Stormont’s Executive Office established FICT in 2016 with the aim of addressing conflicts regarding various identity and cultural matters, including flags and bonfires. Upon the report’s publication, the Executive Office announced that a working group—comprising junior ministers, advisers, and officials—would “continue to meet” for its deliberation. This working group convened a single time in January 2022, prior to the collapse of Northern Ireland’s power-sharing government later in the same year. The group has not been reassembled since the Northern Ireland Executive was reinstated in February, following a two-year interruption. Paula Bradshaw, an Alliance Party assembly member and chair of the Executive Office scrutiny committee, voiced apprehension regarding the absence of advancement. She has put forward a private member’s bill that aims to enact certain FICT recommendations concerning flags. She further stated, “While absolute consensus was not reached on every issue during the FICT process, there was absolute consensus the status quo is unacceptable.” The commission originated under the Fresh Start Agreement. Its panel, consisting of 15 members, including both political and non-political appointees, engaged with numerous stakeholders and community organizations. The commission was initially scheduled to deliver its report in December 2017, 18 months subsequent to its formation. However, its operations were impacted by the breakdown of devolution in January 2017. The findings were ultimately submitted to the Stormont executive in July 2020, yet their publication did not occur until December 2021. The document spans 168 pages and comprises 17 chapters, exploring various subjects such as identity, flags, bonfires, murals, and public memorials. Regarding flags, the commission indicated it had not achieved accord on whether legislative amendments should be enacted concerning the placement of flags on lampposts and other street fixtures. Nevertheless, it noted “widespread agreement” on the components of a potential “code of practice,” for instance, maintaining flags at a distance from interfaces. Concerning bonfires, the commission advised that only wood ought to be incinerated, and the collection of materials should be restricted to the six weeks preceding the lighting of the pyre. With no agreement reached within Stormont, the oversight of flags seems to be progressing through alternative channels. Philip Armstrong, a property lawyer, stated that flags are being banned from new residential developments via instruments termed “restrictive covenants.” These legal stipulations, embedded in property deeds, have the capacity to encompass a broad spectrum of matters. However, Mr Armstrong observed that they are now “routinely” applied concerning flags. He commented, “I would say that in most new-build properties, we are seeing restrictive covenants which are prohibiting the exhibition or display of flags or banners or emblems.” He further suggested, “I think that’s a sign that developers particularly realise that for the future attractiveness of the development and properties for sale, an absence of those political emblems can be a real advantage.” The Executive Office of Stormont functions as the joint department for First Minister Michelle O’Neill and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly. In an official statement, a spokeswoman declared: “The recommendations of the FICT report are under consideration as part of the current review of the T:BUC (Together: Building a United Community) strategy.” She added, “This will ensure the cross cutting and wide-reaching impacts of the issues covered within FICT inform broader thinking on good relations.”