‘Parades policing’ cost £6.7m in 2015
Parades in Northern Ireland cost the government £6.7m to police during 2015.
Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers said that the government would not tolerate violence after 25 officers were injured during a three-day period in July.
“This is completely unacceptable. In the same month, a rogue group of loyalists made a public statement to the media threatening PSNI officers and the Parades Commission. This too is unacceptable,” she said.
“This Government will not tolerate acts or threats of violence by any part of the Northern Ireland community.”
PSNI assistant chief constable Stephen Martin said: “The annual cost of policing the Northern Ireland parading season remains a necessary expenditure for PSNI.
“It is our responsibility to ensure that the potential for serious disorder is minimised and that peace is maintained throughout parading events.
“Until we as a society can reach a point in time when serious disorder and violence are no longer a possibility, police will continue to be obliged to allocate significant resources to policing parades and associated events.”
