CHURCH leaders in Northern Ireland have expressed relief that parties in the Northern Ireland Assembly have reached agreement on the devolution of policing and justice.
The churchmen, led by the Archbishop of Armagh, the Most Revd Alan Harper, warmly welcomed the news. But it was now time, Archbishop Harper said, for political leaders in the province to address the serious issues facing them. “I believe that the scene is now set for the Executive and the Assembly to make rapid progress. . . First on the agenda must be the economic situation in Northern Ireland, which is serious and demands immediate attention.
“High-profile closures by multi-national companies have been headline news again of late. What has not commanded attention is the parlous state of affairs in the small- and medium-sized business sector. This sector is, in many ways, the backbone of our economy and is not ‘footloose’ in the way that multi-nationals are.”
The Roman Catholic Primate, Cardinal Seán Brady, said that the need to ensure the best educational prospects for young people, and continued development of community relations, must be priorities for the Assembly.
The Methodist President, the Revd Donald Kerr, reminded the political leaders that there were issues in health and public administration to be faced; and the Presbyterian Moderator, Dr Stafford Carson, said he was encouraged that politicians had “shown maturity and leadership in coming to an agreement over these difficult and complex matters”.