The Alliance motion called for the Secretary of State Owen Paterson to convene party talks to find a way forward in addressing the legacy of the past.
[caption id="attachment_27806" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="Down District Councillor Patrick Clarke. "]
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Councillor Patrick Clarke said, “It is absolutely imperative that there are talks between the various political parties in Northern Ireland urgently, so that victims and survivors needs can be met and that we can establish a process to deal with the legacy of the during the troubles.
“The success of our motion sends out a very strong message that we all want to make progress on addressing the past. Instead of looking at events in a fragmented way we must find a way towards creating a comprehensive and overarching process.
“There must be urgency in establishing a way forward and that is why I believe it is crucial that there are talks including all parties and the British and Irish governments as soon as possible.
“It’s not simply enough that we have peace, we need to look at our past to help us ensure that there is never a return to the dark days which caused so much devastation across all of Northern Ireland. The very least we owe victims and survivors is a discussion centred on their needs on how to address the past.
“The result of this debate is a clear call to the Secretary of State Owen Patterson to hold party talks urgently to address the legacy of the Troubles.
“Progress must be made to help build a shared future for everyone. To have a peaceful and stable future we must address the past,” added Cllr Clarke.]]>
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