Flags protocol not followed because of Irish street signs, councillor says

A flags protocol in south Belfast is no longer being followed because of opposition to Irish language street signs.

That is according to Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) councillor Davy Douglas, who described disputes over signage and flags as a "vicious circle".

The agreement for Ormeau Road, which was brokered in 2018, involved union flags being taken down by early September each year.

But now in December, some are still currently erected on lamp-posts along the street.

Douglas said he made enquiries after being contacted by a constituent.

"I was told that the flags were staying up. They weren't being taken down at the minute because of a number of Irish language street signs which had gone up in the area," he said.

"And when I relayed that to the constituent, he had said: 'Well, if they stay up then you're just going to get even more Irish language signs going up.'

"And he's probably right. And then you'll get more flags going up as well.

"It just seems to be a vicious circle."

Douglas was speaking during a city council meeting last month.

He did not specify the location he was referring to, but a DUP spokesman told BBC News NI his remarks were related to Ormeau Road.

The flags agreement in 2018 aimed to end the flying of flags linked to paramilitary groups.

Only the union flag and Ulster banner were to be flown under the protocol, which stated they would be displayed from mid-June to early September.

The late DUP assembly member Christopher Stalford, who was involved in the talks that led to the agreement, at the time said he hoped it would "improve community relations".

Alliance Party assembly member Paula Bradshaw said people should be able to "express their culture" but "marching season is long passed".

She said it was a "very mixed" community, adding: "We're moving into the Christmas season now and I think that they would much prefer to see Christmas lights than flags on the lampposts."

Sinn Féin MLA Deirdre Hargey said the current approach to flags has "failed" and the reports of flags on the Ormeau Road "underlines the need to deal with the issue".

It comes as disputes continue at Stormont and in local councils over Irish on bilingual street signs and other displays.

Douglas was expressing the DUP's opposition to Belfast City Council's bilingual signage policies, saying they were causing "sectarian division in our city".

Bradshaw has submitted a private member's bill in a bid to address issues with flags.

She said there was a "distinct difference" in the disputes over flags and bilingual street signs.

"We know who puts those signs up, we know that people in those streets have been consulted upon and that there's a policy in place around that," she said.

"So I think it's the unregulated way in which these flags have gone up that people don't know who put them up, people weren't consulted and they just don't know when they're going to come down."

The DUP and some groups involved in discussions that led to the 2018 flags protocol were approached for comment.

Stormont's Department for Infrastructure (DfI) was also approached for comment but has not yet responded.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said the "responsibility for removing flags from street furniture rests with the property owner".

A spokeswoman said police consider flags issues "on a case-by-case basis, and the individual circumstances will determine what action police take".

"Where any offences have been committed, the circumstances will be investigated," she added.

"Our officers will engage and work with local community representatives and partner agencies in relation to any complaints about flags."

TUV councillor Ron McDowell told BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme that the Irish-language street signs were "the straw that has broken the camel's back".

He added that he would "never condone the taking down of the union flag", unless they were tattered or paramilitary flags.

Alliance Party councillor Michael Long called the flags a "disgrace".

"If you were really interested in protecting your flag, you wouldn't leave them in tatters and left to fall to bits in your local area," he said.

He added: "We want to make sure that [Irish language] signs will only go up when the majority of people want them and we would have to make the same issue to do with flags."

Irish signage has been a key point of contention at Stormont, with parties clashing over proposals to spend £150,000 on bilingual displays at Belfast's Grand Central Station.

The plan by the infrastructure minister is being challenged in the courts.

At local council level, there have also been disputes over the introduction of dual-language street signs in some neighbourhoods.

They have been vandalised more than 300 times in five years.

Northern Ireland's devolved government recently appointed an Irish language commissioner and a commissioner for the Ulster-Scots and Ulster British tradition.

The roles were key parts of language legislation introduced in 2022 by Westminster, which stepped in following a political stalemate at Stormont over the laws.

An £800,000 Stormont report aimed at addressing disputes over flags and other cultural issues was released in 2021.

The Executive Office has previously said the report would be considered as part of a review of its community relations strategy.