‘Everyone should be concerned’: MLA warns over rise in attacks on Orange and Apprentice Boys halls
A rise in attacks on Orange and Apprentice Boys Halls across Northern Ireland in the past year should concern "everyone who believes in respect and tolerance" an MLA has said.
New figures from Justice Minister Naomi Long show the attacks rose from 11 to 17 in the latest year.
Her figures show almost 13 attacks on the halls annually for the past nine years – normally recorded as hate crimes by the PSNI. In 2016-17 the figure was more than double the average, with 31 attacks.
However concerns have been raised that she was unable to provide any related figures on prosecutions.
The Orange Order says that since the Belfast Agreement in 1998, there 600 recorded attacks on its properties – including over 60 halls destroyed by arson.
Minister Long provided the latest figures in an Assembly answer to DUP South Down MLA Diane Forsythe.
Ms Forsythe said that 17 attacks were recorded during 2025/26, compared with 11 in the previous year, with 146 attacks have recorded over the past decade.
Ms Forsythe said that there can be "no tolerance of sectarian intimidation or attacks on the property of any cultural tradition".
She added: “These figures are deeply worrying. Orange and Apprentice Boys’ halls are valued community facilities, maintained largely by volunteers and used by people of all ages. An attack on any one of them is an attack on the wider community.
"The fact that attacks increased from 11 to 17 in the latest year should concern everyone who believes in respect and tolerance. This is a campaign of hate fuelled by republican propaganda.
"It is also unacceptable that the Department of Justice cannot tell us how many people have been convicted for these attacks. The Minister says identifying that figure would require a manual search of court records and involve disproportionate cost.”
She will be seeking further information from the PSNI and pressing the Minister to explain how she intends to improve the recording of prosecutions, she added.
A spokesman for the Orange Order said they had recorded significantly more attacks over the past decade than the minister – 167 compared with 146 in the minister’s figures.
However it believes this is probably because their figures include the Republic of Ireland, whereas hers do not. The Orange Order’s figures also do not include attacks on Apprentice Boys halls.
An Orange Order spokesman said attacks ranged in their severity, “from graffiti to broken windows and much more serious arson attacks”.
He said the halls are community buildings which facilitate music and dance tuition, educational talks, sporting activities and senior citizens groups.
"During Covid, many Orange Halls were used as community kitchens and as distribution centres for PPE and essential supplies to many vulnerable families – irrespective of their background,” he added.
The PSNI responded that it regards "all hate crimes" as attacks on the whole community and said it is committed to identifying and apprehending those responsible for the crimes.
“Orange Halls and other significant sites, such as churches and GAA clubs, form part of the regular patrolling patterns of local policing teams throughout Northern Ireland, particularly during the summer months," it added.
“We will work with all organisations, including the Orange Order, to identify opportunities to prevent attacks and to address any ongoing concerns they may have."