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IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SDLP MLA BURNS: AGREEMENT HAS STOOD THE TEST OF TIME

SDLP South Antrim MLA Thomas Burns has today said that The Good Friday Agreement has stood the test of time. Speaking as the tenth anniversary of the Agreement approaches Mr Burns stated:  

"At the time of the Agreement the SDLP said that it provided for partnership and co-operation, not just between nationalist and unionist but for those who voted 'Yes' in the referendum and those who voted 'No', and that is how things have turned out.

Obviously there were disappointments after the Agreement. There were times when we did not get delivery and implementation, where there were stand-offs and the two Governments failed to show good authority in relation to some issues.

However, the institutions did not fail, it was the process politics which failed outside the institutions.

In terms of policing reform, I don't think people expected the reforms to turn out as well as they did. However, the policing institutions operated successfully when the political institutions didn't.

The promises made to victims and survivors, however, have not been kept.

I can understand victims who feel as politicians talk about moving forward that they have been forgotten. While victims welcome the progress that has been made, they have mixed feelings over whether their needs are being respected.

Wider society needs to take victims into account.

We now have a settled process. What is different now with the power sharing, north-south and policing arrangements is that there is acceptance of them now by all the main parties, particularly the DUP."

ENDS