AQW 22239/11-15

Mr Alastair Ross
Democratic Unionist Party
East Antrim

Tabled Date: 25/04/2013
Answered On Date: 17/05/2013
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Regional Development how many illegal monuments have been identified by his Department, in each of the last two years.

Answer:

My Department’s policy, which has been approved by previous Ministers, is that it does not endorse, or support, the unauthorised use of departmental property for any purpose. The Department must also take into account the safety of those who are asked to undertake the removal and the risk of escalating the problem.

In the last two years, officials have identified four illegal monuments on property which is owned by Roads Service.

Given these circumstances, like my predecessors Mr Conor Murphy MP, Mr Gregory Campbell MP and Mr Peter Robinson, I am unable to instruct my officials to remove terrorist commemorations on departmental controlled or associated property, unless such structures pose a danger to road users, or there is clear indication that removing them would have widespread local support

Unauthorised memorials on the property of the Department’s arms-length bodies are matters for the Boards of those organisations.