'Shameful': No departmental bonfire engagement policy and no money for diversion projects in Derry

The chairperson of Derry City & Strabane District Council's Health & Community Committee, SDLP Councillor Brian Tierney criticised the response of various statutory departments and bodies and accused them of trying to cover their backs as bonfire season approaches.

Colr. Tierney was responding after a report was brought following a recent meeting of the Bonfire Working Group, attended by representatives from the Housing Executive (NIHE), Department for Communities (DfC), Department for Infrastructure (DfI) and the Education Authority (EANI), along with Council representatives, the Fire & Rescue Service and the PSNI.

The Bonfire Working Group was set up as a partnership between the Council and relevant agencies back in 2016/17.

In the report brought to the committee it was concluded that: "The current financial situation within Departments and resulting uncertainty regarding budget allocations to Councils means that there is unlikely to be a budget available to provide for diversionary activities during the bonfire season."

The committee was also told that all Councils in Northern Ireland have received an FOI request regarding bonfires including a request for information on Council property, prosecutions, waste management, risk assessments, public liability insurance etc.

A scoping exercise has been undertaken across Councils in relation to risk assessments, with local Council officers across directorates meeting to consider the appropriate process in relation to unauthorised bonfires on Council land. The current Bonfire Policy is now being reviewed following recommendations resulting from the scoping exercise.

In terms of diversionary summer projects, the committee was informed that the this year the Executive Office has said that 'budgets have not yet been confirmed within The Executive Office and as such assurances of funding cannot be provided and letters of offer to councils cannot be issued at this time'.

The A.C.T (Action for Community Transformation) Initiative, Belfast, has received funding from the International Fund for Ireland to employ an officer to work with two areas, the Fountain and Irish Street, to support the delivery of safer community celebrations, but generally local groups seeking funding for diversionary projects this summer "are finding it increasingly difficult to access funding in 2023 given the extremely challenging financial environment within Government Departments".

Summarising the current positions of the various statutory agencies, the Council report states that DfI "do not have any policy or formal engagement around bonfires at present" and that Apex have advised DfI that they will be erecting palisade fencing around the Meenan Square site this year.

EANI meanwhile said the Departmental 'do not anticipate an extensive SPARKS initiative this year due to the challenging situation with regard to Departmental budgets',

The report states that this project was referenced by the partners at the meeting and “had been extremely beneficial in working with young people during the Summer at times of high tension”.

NIHE said it has engaged with community groups and run diversionary projects although budgets are difficult for 2023, while the Department for Communities said it is liaising with community groups in the areas where it owns the land, Galliagh and Clooney, and are keen to involve youth through diversionary activities.

Responding to the departmental positions as outlined, Colr. Tierney said: "Anybody reading those responses, in my opinion, that doesn't look as if it is partnership, that looks as if it is someone reporting to a body.

"The response in my opinion from each and everyone one of those departments is shameful. If you are from a community where there is an unwanted bonfire like my own area in Galliagh, those responses do nothing to help residents.

"The Department for Infrastructure don't have a policy or a formal engagement on bonfires. The Department for Communities, they are currently working with community groups in the area, but reading earlier reports members there is no funding there to support them. The Education Authority is the same, and the Housing Executive the same. Those are not ways, in my view, that are going to help communities who are suffering at the hands of anti-social, unwanted bonfires," Colr. Tierney said.

He added: "Once the nominations are made to the working groups the Bonfire Working Group needs to meet urgently to try and address this issue, the members first and foremost and then bringing in the statutory agencies because that report in my opinion is paying lip service and is doing absolutely nothing.

"They are covering their back and they are hoping that come the 12th of July and 15th of August these issues are going to go away," he claimed, adding: "They are not [going away] because they are going to come back next year and the year after, and if we don't do something now communities are going to suffer at the hands of these bonfires year on year on year."

Derry City & Strabane District Council Strategic Director Barry O'Hagan said the newly constituted Bonfire Working Group will be meeting in the very near future.

He also said that there was more scrutiny on bonfires this year following a fatality at a bonfire site elsewhere in Northern Ireland last year.

The committee report stated that any legal implications will be considered as part of cross departmental discussions regarding the appropriate process to address unauthorised bonfires on Council land.