Naomi Long MLA said: “I am glad that Sir Hugh has chosen the issue of a Shared Future as one of the issues to highlight as he leaves office. I wholeheartedly agree with his comments about the lack of emphasis placed on this by government. OFMdFM has a responsibility to deliver the strategy for Cohesion, Sharing and Integration which has the potential to shape, guide and support work done by others.
“Northern Ireland has made progress but it is clear that there is much more that could and should be done. This is something which affects many aspects of our lives, including our economic sustainability and use of resources. Policing is just one area massively affected by this.
“There is clearly a lack of political leadership on community relations in OFMdFM and until this is solved I fear that we will not see much movement on this issue and those struggling on the ground to make a difference will see no significant improvement in the policies and structures supporting their efforts.
“After this summer’s incidents, it is obvious that hate crime and good relations remain major issues in Northern Ireland that should be placed high up in the Executive’s priority list, but they do not appear to be on any serious agenda.”
ENDS