East Belfast Alliance MLA Chris Lyttle said: “The NI Executive must make tackling the wide and disproportionate impact of sectarianism and division in Northern Ireland it’s urgent priority.
“The UK government published the community relations policy ‘A Shared Future’ and corresponding departmental action plans in 2005. In 2007 international accountancy firm Deloitte estimated the potential cost of division in Northern Ireland to be approximately £1billion.
“It wasn’t until July 2010, however, that a local community relations policy, the Cohesion, Sharing & Integration strategy, was produced. The public consultation on this policy closed at the end of October 2010 and eight months on, despite formal requests from the Assembly OFMdFM committee, the First and deputy First Minister have yet to publish the public response to this consultation.
“If the First and deputy First Minister are serious about a shared future for Northern Ireland, they must work in partnership with other parties and the wider community to deliver on their responsibility to produce a robust community relations strategy to help rebuild our economy and society.”
ENDS