Green Party Deputy Leader Lesley Veronica said: "What we have seen at Drumcree is a failure of politics, a failure of process, and most importantly, a failure to properly listen to the people who have lived with the consequences of this dispute for decades.

Nearly thirty years after the Good Friday Agreement, we should not be reopening the same wounds; we should build on the peace process and deliver institutional change that protects people in a settlement based on human rights and justice for all.”

Belfast City Council group leader Cllr Brian Smyth said: "There is now a clear case for independent international mediation, involving people with no stake in our internal politics but real, hard-won experience of resolving conflicts every bit as entrenched as ours elsewhere.

The people of the Garvaghy Road have been badly served by institutions and political parties that have used them as bargaining chips.

Drumcree is a symptom of a bigger problem. Nearly three decades into peace, we have still never agreed a comprehensive mechanism for dealing with our past. Until we do, the same flashpoints will keep reopening, again and again.

Northern Ireland deserves better than repeatedly returning to the unresolved fights of the 1990s. We need independent mediation, institutions that function, and honesty about our shared past. Nothing less will stop us coming back here again."

ENDS

Green Party East Belfast candidate Cllr Brian Smyth said "Today the Parades Commission have allowed a restricted Orange Order parade down the Garvaghy Road on Sunday, the first time in almost 30 years. I call on everyone involved to make sure it passes off peacefully. Nothing less is acceptable."

"This is not a moment for triumphalism or provocation. It’s a moment for responsibility. Too many lives have been lost to our troubled past, too many families still carry the weight of intergenerational trauma. We owe it to the next generation to break that cycle, not hand it down again."

"We also need honesty. This ruling followed a court decision that quashed the last determination on a procedural technicality. Not because the case for restricting the parade was wrong. Communities deserve a full, transparent account of the Commission’s reasoning, and confidence that its processes are rigorous and consistent, not shaped by whoever wins the last legal fight."

"Cultural expression should never come at the cost of community cohesion. Green politics means peace, sustainability, and justice for every community: investment in youth services, regeneration and trauma‑informed support, so the next generation inherits reconciliation, green jobs and shared prosperity, not conflict."

"Sunday’s peace is fragile. Our collective responsibility is to make sure it holds, and we’re committed to real reconciliation, not just for Sunday, but for every day after."

Cllr Brian Smyth  
Green Party Group Leader, Belfast City Council

ENDS

Green Party Councillor Brian Smyth has raised concerns with the lack of communication from the Public Health Agency. Following a warning by Health Authorities in the Republic of Ireland about high dosage MDMA ahead of this weekend's Electric Picnic festival in the South.

Cllr Smyth said, "We know the drugs trade is all-island and doesn't end at the border. Therefore it is vital that the PHA (Public Health Agency) communicate with the public in Northern Ireland, on any potential concerns, given the announcement in the Republic. It is also time that a harm reduction approach is implemented in Northern Ireland and that includes back of house drug testing facilities at large festivals and events. So the public can be given the correct information, instead of being left with online speculation."

Cllr Smyth concluded "The Greens have been advocating for progressive change in Northern Ireland's approach to drug deaths, every one of which is a preventable tragedy. Drug testing at festival and large scale events is a no brainer. So should be an overdose prevention center in Belfast. If we are serious about saving lives, then we should follow Portugal's success and decriminalise drugs."

ENDS