Northern Ireland
Dail Éireann — 2026-10-01
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Helen McEntee (FG), Meath East

I thank the Deputy and appreciate the comments she has made. It is important, given where we are now and the engagement that has happened and is happening in quite a short space of time, that we allow communities the time and space to try to find a way forward. A legal case is coming up. Given what happened last weekend with the courts, nobody wants another weekend where we have something similar happening. A huge amount of work has been done this week to bring people together and try and find a way forward.
I have been very clear, as have the Taoiseach and others, about our views as to what has happened. That being said, we have to make sure we can find a way forward that does not allow for a return to the past or what we know were very traumatic and horrific events in 1997 and before. That is my focus and priority. Our team has engaged with the residents. Legally, the situation is that the Government has no remit or role in parading. I am very conscious of that. At the same time, I have engaged consistently not just with the Secretary of State but others as well, with a view to bringing forward a resolution.
Beyond the actual issue of the parade, we need to make sure that we are in lockstep in what we are doing next and how we are working together to make sure the communities and residents on the road are supported. Beyond that, we can look at the political side of this with the Executive.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-10-01/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-10-05T01:01:00+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-10-01