Northern Ireland Community Relations Council - About Us - News - JEFF ROOKER VISITS COMMUNITY RELATIONS COUNCIL

27 October 2005

Jeff Rooker, Minister with responsibility for community relations issues, has praised the important work of the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council (CRC) and emphasised the importance of promoting sharing over separation.

During a visit to the Council's Headquarters in Belfast, the Minister also said that their long-term contribution to promoting community relations in Northern Ireland had been invaluable. As Government takes forward its Shared Future policy, the Community Relations Council will play a key role in its implementation.

Jeff Rooker said: “The Community Relations Council has worked tirelessly in the difficult area of community relations and has made a significant contribution to improving relationships for many people throughout Northern Ireland.

“The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the challenges that we all face in building relationships within and between communities here and to take on board their views on the implementation of A Shared Future and how we can start to incentivise sharing.”

NOTES TO EDITORS:

A Shared Future outlines the fundamental principles and aims which underpin how all of us, government, local authorities, civic society, can work together to bring about the best shared future between and within communities. The document is available on the department's website www.asharedfutureni.gov.uk

The Government's vision for the future of Northern Ireland is for a peaceful, inclusive, prosperous, stable and fair society firmly founded on the achievement of reconciliation, tolerance, and mutual trust and the protection and vindication of human rights for all.

There has been ongoing work with District Council Community Relations Officers (CROs), local government Chief Executives to discuss equivalent actions at a local level which will help deliver Shared Future outcomes.