Mixed housing ‘a must for our future’
By Noel McAdam
31 October 2005
The Alliance Party today called for all newly-built schools to be integrated and future housing estates to be mixed.
In a series of proposals for consideration under the Governments’ ‘Shared Future’ framework, the party also said fair employment rules should be changed so people are not labelled either ‘Protestant’ or ‘Catholic’ against their will.
Party leader David Ford said: “The promotion of good relations must now be mainstreamed. All Government departments and agencies have a role, and must be held accountable for any failure to deliver.”
Its response to the framework document released last March - committing the Government to start publishing proposals every three years - also demanded
a review of how agencies deal with paramilitaries “masquerading as community representatives”, a follow-through on the Government’s own audit of the costs of segregation, and strict enforcement of legislation against displays of paramilitary flags.
Alliance said the promotion and maintenance of mixed housing should become an explicit objective of the Housing Executive - with action to protect existing examples of integrated housing.
All new-build schools should be integrated with the criteria for the creation and maintenance of integrated schools “reformed and relaxed”, giving recognition to those children of mixed, other or no religious background.
Mr Ford added: “Departments, agencies and funders must stop treating integration as if it is some form of social engineering. There is nothing artificial about integration. What is artificial is the provision of segregated facilities and grant schemes which merely promote division.
“The financial and economic incentives for change are unanswerable. The Secretary of State himself has estimated that around £1bn is spent annually - equivalent to our entire education budget - on the provision of segregated facilities and managing the resultant divisions.
“Effectively, we are paying regional rate hikes, tuition fees and extra water charges just so Government can carry on its sectarian carve-up. This is truly nonsensical.”
