East Belfast MLA Mr Lyttle was speaking after the release of a report by the University of Ulster on attitudes to interface barriers, which showed a drop of nine per cent in the number of respondents who wanted to see the peace walls come down since a previous survey in 2012.
He said creating the conditions in which people felt safe enough for the barriers to come down was crucial in removing them.
“As stated by the Justice Minister, tensions around flags, emblems and parades have no doubt made a large impact upon people’s attitudes towards the removal of so-called peace walls. That makes it all the more disappointing these issues were not dealt with properly in the ‘Fresh Start’ deal.
“This report highlights the immediate need for not just words but actions to increase the confidence of residents living near such walls that we can see the opening of security gates and removal of the grim reminder of our past.
“Despite the fall in respondents, the report still shows 49 per cent of people want to see the walls come down. That is why Alliance will continue to work to deliver on the future so many people want to see.”