What year is this? Oh right – 2017. That means it’s nineteen years since the Good Friday Agreement and fifty years since the beginning of the civil rights movement. The civil rights movement, you’ll remember, was sparked by an injustice in allocation of public housing. The Good Friday Agreement was built on the motion of equality and respect for all. News this morning tells us that change here comes dropping slow. So slow, you’d better think in decades rather than years.
Because according to this morning’s Belfast Telegraph, “Catholics are continuing to experience the longest waiting times for social housing in Northern Ireland.” That’s according to a new report from the Equality Commission. If you’re Catholic, better bank on having to wait six months longer than your Protestant counterpart. That’s not to say that Protestants don’t have to wait. They just don’t have to wait as long.
I have no doubt we’ll hear all sorts of civilized and sensible explanations for this gap (Anyone for ‘Catholics breed like rabbits’?). But equality doesn’t say you’ll be at a disadvantage if you have a large family (which most Catholics don’t have any more) or if you have other inhibiting characteristics. Equality says everyone receives the same support. Today there is a failure to provide fair allocation of housing. Fifty years later there was a failure to have fair allocation of housing. Draw your own conclusions.
And while you’re getting depressed, digest this. On St Patrick’s Day 2018, there will be a European qualification game between Glasgow Rangers and Derry City. The game will be played in the Brandywell. Are the authorities expecting sectarian chanting, the possibility of crowd trouble, concerns about the safety of the visiting team? Unlikely. It’ll be a needle match, no doubt, but the notion that it could provoke ugly exhibitions of sectarianism? Nah.
Except, as you’re probably aware, no such game is scheduled. The game that is scheduled is for next month in Windsor Park , and it will be between Linfield and Glasgow Celtic. It’s scheduled for 5.00 pm on 11 July.
Are authorities worried about sectarianism/violence? There’s talk about swapping the home and away ties – have Linfield play in Glasgow on 11 July and the return match a few weeks later in Windsor Park. But it’s indisputable that, when most people heard of the teams involved, the venue for the first game and the date of that game, their first thought was “Trouble!”
The sun is blazing through my window as I write this. They say this is the most sustained really hot spell since 1942. But the world outside my window is still one where the problems of 1998 and 1967 continue to press in on us. On second thoughts, make that 1690.
One of the first things one learns in professional legal studies is ‘assume nothing’, the most improbable things will occur, all this media hype therefore is being predicated upon the assumption that the orange team from Belfast south will beat the north west, Republican team of Saint Marinus, so, I will enjoy my holiday in Italy, safe and sound in the knowledge that the good people of Saint Marinus will safely march on to glory..
were the 65% of people that turned out to vote, voting for more of the same.
I’d suspect Billy, regardless of what we vote for, 1998 and the last sic county Assembly election result being good examples, the six counties civil service will keep on their ‘status quo’ path and nothing shall change.
I was disappointed today, listening, as I never do, to the occupied Ulster radio, to hear the broadcaster, at 11.40 make reference in a not nuacht programme to the possibility of the implementation of a Statute of Limitation vis State murders.
No-one on the later Talkback show mentioned the fact the Human Rights Convention assures us there will be no new law which can change, or make illegal acts retrospectively. Conversely it must be expected, introduction of such ex post facto law on previous State murders would be equally abhorrent to the investigation of justice. It is unlikely they Brit gov. could escape their legal obligations so, why even bring it to the attention of the tax payer? Unless perhaps to mislead us, as if the BBC would ever?
Rather we shall have more obstruction (remember, even if an Taoiseach May were to bin the 1998 Act she would still be bound by the Convention) simply waiting for the victims, and the murderers, to die, so absolving the State from any liability for answering the question of responsibility.
And they may wonder why people bomb and stab them?
It has been proved,Billy, that whether you vote or not in the colony that you get more of the same. The most blame lies with those who do not vote.
Unionism is still fighting the long war against equality. Today an armed forces covenant is being put to the Stormont parties as part of a discussion paper, ex soldiers to get preferential treatment from public services.
InvestNI (excluding West Belfast and anywhere West of the Bann) subsidise jobs for Protestants while no there’s now talk of another upgrade to the west link allowing greater access to Belfast from Antrim and north Down while infrastructure west of the Bann is non existent.
For decades unionists ‘encouraged’ the bigger Catholic families to emigrate through a deliberate process of ensuring jobs and infrastructure where placed on the doorstep of Protestants.
Decades on that legacy is still very much with us, today’s headlines on social housing waiting lists should shame the SDLP and SF.
Sinn Fein have been telling us that before re-entering Stormont they will insist that all existing agreements must be implemented.
This ‘armed forces covenant’ has never been discussed, never mind agreed, so they should throw that off the table until Stormont is restored on their terms.
This covenant will be for unionists only, as no nationalists or republicans should even think of joining the army of another country, unless they consider themselves mercenaries.
Its intention is to give preferential health treatment to ‘our brave heroes’ – how brave are they when they expect your children, grandchildren or grandparents to stand in the queue for medical attention while they march to the front of the queue.
No bloody way!
Isn’t it strange since the DUP went on a little holiday to foreign clims that we haven’t heard their usual bigotry , their loathing etc etc…..very quiet …must be trying to impress someone or stay out of the limelight .However their little jaunt , out into the adult world , is almost over and we can expect normal service to be resumed shortly !
What a f-ing disgrace !
And Unionism continues to actively support terrorist groups –
https://twitter.com/tv_KevinSharkey/status/876927443298340865
Let’s hope the British press refer to her ‘Terrorist Supporting MP Emma Little-Pengelly’ from now on, eh?
The article in the Belfast Telegraph reminded me of allegations against a former DUP MLA and Orangeman arranging a meeting about Housing with a Housing Association in an Orange Hall not that long ago. The subject was apparently Housing for Catholics. If true, Orangemen meeting about Housing for Catholics can hardly be a positive thing.
Then yesterday the big story on Nolan was the UVF putting up flags in a Shared Housing scheme in South Belfast, an attempt to clearly mark territory and intimidate. According to Loyalist Phil Hamilton, the flags were put there as a “History Lesson”. Yes, you read that correctly. Loyalists were putting UVF terror flags up for “education”. Even Stephen Nolan laughed at that one. The DUP called for the flags to be removed but the newly elected South Belfast MP said today that “the residents don’t want a fuss” when it comes to the terror flags. Yes, I’m sure residents don’t mind terrorist flags being put up in a mixed area…..
Catholics waiting an extra 6 months for Housing than Protestants in 2017. The UVF (same UVF/UDA who backed political Unionism in the election) putting up flags in shared housing estates to intimidate and mark territory. Allegations of Orangemen meeting Housing Associations about Housing for Catholics. Unionist MP’s turning the blind eye. ETC.
I think 2017 has more in common with 1967 than we originally thought…..
Was that south Belfast DUP MP carrying one of the guns her father Noel Little illegally imported from South Africa, when she was visiting the Catholic residents, or would she even need to do so, to intimidate these isolated families?
So what are the reasons for this discrepancy then?
When I took a look at the Equality Commission website (no link, thanks Jude) it just says:
‘Themuns are pickin on usuns’
Only joking it says nothing of the sort.
The reasons are complex and they do include the larger household size in Catholic families as well as the greater tendency amongst Catholic families to want housed in their own area, often areas of slow movement such as West Belfast.
Other factors are also highlighted.
“The Northern Ireland Census 2011 data set out
above further confirms these contrasting trends among Protestant households of an older
population, and a shift away from Belfast City; compared to a growing Catholic population
with a younger age profile, with more families and fewer single person households”
The segregation of areas is highlighted too as a complicating factor and the problem of a basic lack of social housing in general.
There may well be an element of deliberate discrimination involved to, but I don’t see it highlighted in the report
http://www.equalityni.org/ECNI/media/ECNI/Publications/Delivering%20Equality/HousingCommunities-SummaryReport.pdf.
But why try to understand complex problems when a good oul mope is so much more fun.
Exactly Gio
Remember these figures.
£80,000 per day
50%+ 1
70% SDLP don’t want a United Ireland.
is the 80k the wage bill and the canteen bill.great job getting paid for nothing.
You didn’t vote,Billy,so you can’t complain.
me paying tax that keeps them in luxury and i cant complain.we arnt in cuba yet fio.
maybe pin the days menu at stormont outside the food banks and see who will vote or complain.
I mean if you don’t vote then you can’t complain about who is elected.
I looked at the report this AM, thank God for a sunny day off.
What I find most appalling is the figure that, an Irish person is going to wait longer for services than someone not from here.
This I think shows how poor our political parties have been in promoting the equality agenda.
not giving up your place for services is seen by the pc brigade as racist.in ireland it should be irish first,then the rest join the queue.
Gio ,of course the segragation of areas is the problem.Why don’t they go to shared housing where it’s better “not to make a fuss” about things like UVF flags!
michael
Are you against shared housing in principle or only pointing out the problem in this case?
Personally I think we should start with shared education, instead of this crazy insistence on keeping children in ignorance about ‘others’
I am pointing out that those who rant about Irelands problems being easily solved if “we all lived together” and all “went to the one school” with no mention of British imperialism. For instance in your “shared education ” would equal billing be given to the 1916 rising? Would the easter lily be sold and worn as well as the poppy? Would British army recruiters have access? to all pupils? Would Royal births and weddings be celebrated.?Would there be a 2 flags policy or a no flags policy?How would the history of the orange state be taught?
Michael
Who ever said Ireland’s problems could be easily solved?
None of the objections you mention are insurmountable though are they?
Are you in favour of shared schooling in principle or should we keep our children apart because that has worked so well in the past?
Shared between who and who? Btw Arlene says that not all Scotsmen are liars.
Gio, your comments remind me of something Terence O’Neil said many years ago, summed up by the thought…………………… if only Catholics lived like Protestants
Bridget
I never said anything like that so I don’t know why it would remind you of that.
Are you also against shared education in principle?
“larger families”, “own area” “reluctance to move” if only we had smaller families, be prepared to move and subtexually live like our Protestant neighbours. I do think there is something a bit sectarian about your comments. As regards to shared education, in my experience it does mean the primary ethos will be of the British kind.
Bridget
I should be offended by that but I have got used to being insulted around here.
Those are the reasons quoted in the Equality Commission report and they refer to other academic surveys.
No-one least of all me is saying any of the things you suggest.
The report was highlighting the need for social housing provision to better reflect these factors.
Perhaps your accusation tells us more about you than about me!
As to shared education if the ethos was not primarily British, would you be in favour in principle or not?
I am not against genuine shared education where republicanism is given absolute parity with unionism and is seen as a totally legitimate position.If you can show me one integrated school that gives republicanism that parity and where the sale or wearing of easter lilies is promoted as equal to the poppy ,I will encourage people to attend it.
The report highlights a ludicrous situation in north Belfast where houses lie unoccupied because of a falling Protestant population yet peace lines are not moved to reflect the changing demographics of the city.
If this trend is being repeated throughout the north and I suspect it is, due to a younger Catholic demographic and a falling Protestant population then peace lines will need to be redrawn. The alternative is to effectively create Catholic Gaza strips throughout Belfast while swathes Protestant homes lie empty.
Things ARE better than the bad old days. At least Catholics aren’t being kicked to death by frustrated loyalists any more.