“Sinn Fein needs to step up to the mark in playing their part in building a shared future in Northern Ireland.  If we are to tackle issues like racism and sectarianism and work to remove the divisions in our society, we need a shared strategy to achieve this.  The peace walls will not come down whilst Sinn Fein persist with a mistaken belief that a shared future is created by imposing their template rather than a template based on a broad consensus.  That is not a basis for building the trust or confidence necessary to end the divisions that scar the landscape in interface areas. As is the case at all levels of government, the days of Sinn Fein getting their way by stamping their feet and crying in the media are over. It’s time to build a shared future in Northern Ireland.  Is Sinn Fein up for that?

The policy document which Sinn Fein has launched today has been approved and cleared by nobody but Sinn Fein, whereas the document which I am making available for public consumption has been formulated through intensive discussions over a substantial period of time not only inside OFMDFM but also, amongst the Community Relations Council, the Equality Commission and representatives of the ethnic minority community.   Sinn Fein is really living up to their name here. Their document represents ‘themselves alone’. The document I am publishing represents the views of a wide range of people.  

Sinn Fein needs to understand that behaviour of this kind will not win them any plaudits. They clearly have little confidence in the strength of their own arguments hence we see them running away from proper and frank discussion around the Executive table, choosing instead to publish documents like this. 

The DUP sat down in good faith for a substantial period of time to develop this strategy. Discussions around this issue were ended, not by the DUP, but by Sinn Fein.  Instead of finalising the details of this work in October 2008 Sinn Fein decided to take 8 months out and produce their own document, which has been published today. The document the DUP is publishing shows how far discussions had gone before Sinn Fein decided to go off on their solo-run.   

Equality is not the foundation of good relations.  It is one part of a complex problem that requires a wide range of solutions and actions."

NOTE TO READERS: 

1. this was the latest version of a working draft produced in October 2008.  Further work was and is still required.  This document is being released to demonstrate the policy differences.  

2. "Rights and Responsibilities" is a Sinn Fein document produced in early July 2009, 8 months after the last amended version of the working draft "Building a Better Future" went into the system

3. See attached document

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