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Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland
  Press Statements

Loyal Orders Meet With Archbishop Sean Brady

5 June 2006

The joint Loyal Orders Working Group met today with Archbishop Sean Brady and other representatives of the Roman Catholic Church as part of its ongoing dialogue to explain why it believes the Parades Commission should be replaced by a more equitable system for regulating public events.

The Loyal Orders delegation consisted of Robert Saulters and Drew Nelson from the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland, William Logan and the Rev Tom Greer of the Royal Black Institution, and George Dawson MLA and Mervyn Storey MLA from the Independent Orange Institution.

A spokesman for the Joint Working Group described the meeting as "a cordial, businesslike and useful exchange of views held in an atmosphere of concern for the coming months which all sides wish to see pass in an entirely peaceful manner."

"The Loyal Orders made clear that they believe the Parades Commission has failed and should be replaced by a better system of regulation of all events on the public highway", said the spokesman.

"We recognise that there has to be regulation, but presently this is focused on parades organised by the Loyal Orders - and that, we believe, is biased and unfair. The Parades Commission has, furthermore, shown itself to be a failed and increasingly farcical body that must be replaced with a more equitable arrangement that will seek to develop the widest possible consensus from within the community."

Today's discussions in Armagh are the latest in a series of meetings initiated by the Joint Loyal Orders Working Group on the regulation of parades . In recent months the Group has also held talks with Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain, NIO Minister Paul Goggins, the Irish Republic's Department of Foreign Affairs, Northern Ireland members of the House of Lords, the Chief Constable, the Human Rights Commission, the DUP, UUP, the Alliance Party and the SDLP. In addition the group has met with senior representatives of the Church of Ireland, the Methodist Church and the Presbyterian Church.

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