New Parades Commission jobs advertised
A recruitment competition for the post of chairman and members of the new Parades Commission was opened on Monday by Minister of State Hugo Swire.
The six members of the current commission – which was appointed by the Secretary of State in 1998 – will leave their positions at the end of December.
The recruitment process will aim to fill all those positions ahead of next year’s marching season.
Mr Swire says the new commission’s goal will be to avoid a repeat of the “mindless violence” seen in the summer 2010, during which the PSNI spent £2.2m in policing four days of rioting in the north Belfast area of Ardoyne.
“I have today launched a recruitment competition to make appointments to the position of Commission Chairman and six members of the Commission,” the Minister said.
“The role of the Parades Commission remains extremely important and challenging.
“I would encourage individuals to apply who have a genuine interest in ensuring that the rights of those who parade and those who are affected by parading are treated with equal respect.
“The new Commission will be expected to build on the valuable work of the outgoing Commission and continue to work with local communities to ensure that we do not see a repeat of the mindless violence which occurred as a result of some parades during the summer just past.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the outgoing Chairman and Commissioners for their work.”
The Northern Ireland Office decided to reappoint the Parades Commission last month after the Grand Orange Lodge refused to back draft legislation agreed by Sinn Féin and the DUP in the wake of the Hillsborough Agreement.
Application forms for the jobs can be found on the Northern Ireland Office website.
The Chairman will earn £500 per day, whilst members earn £250 per day. The tenure of the newly appointed commission will run until December 2013.
