Council review after sale of Paratroop flags

But DUP Alderman Maurice Devenney also highlighted the fact that stalls at other events selling ‘paraphernalia’ promoting the IRA with ‘Ooh Ah up the Ra’ were also offensive.

SDLP councillor Brian Tierney told a meeting of the council’s health and community committee that the council should do all it can to stop flags being flown in this council area at all times.

“I understand the difficult sensitivities around that and I also want to point out that I am not raising this issue around the march, around unionist culture or anything like that.

“It is my understanding that this committee issued a licence to stall holders who were involved in or facilitated the Apprentice Boys of Derry march in this city only recently. One of those stalls was selling Parachute Regiment flags.

“In my view and in the view of my constituents I have spoken to across this city and district, they find it offensive, they find it wrong and they don’t want to see those types of flags or any types of flags being flown or sold around this council area.

A council officer responded: “The licensing team will carry out a review of criteria for determining the application of temporary licences in consultation with key stakeholders including the PSNI and we will also review and develop options and bring it back into this committee including an enforcement policy.”

The council official informed members the trader referred to wasn’t in breach of the terms of the licence or the legislation before adding: “There is the opportunity to review how council proceeds with these types of applications.”

Mr Devenney said: “Very, very clearly the Apprentice Boys have no control over who turns up and that is down to licensing.

“I will say when we refer to flags and what’s offensive, councillor Tierney talks about the Para flag being offensive in this city, when I see paraphernalia being sold in stalls promoting the IRA and ‘Ooh Ah up the Ra’ on the back of them, that is offensive to me so those issues have to be dealt with.

“If we are going to deal with flags, I watched the Para flag flying in the Bogside on a bonfire where poppy wreaths were burnt. We find that very, very offensive yet nobody mentioned about those flags in the Bogside at the time.”