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16 February 2011

Justice Minister David Ford has said that peacelines remain an obstacle to building a Shared Future for Northern Ireland.

The Minister reaffirmed the Department of Justice’s commitment to working in partnership with political and community leaders to remove security barriers across Northern Ireland.

He was speaking today after a meeting with Duncan Morrow from the Community Relations Council and Michael Hughes from the Rural Community Network where they discussed their report “Beyond Belfast - Contested Spaces in Urban, Rural and Cross Border Settings”.

During a tour of security barriers in the greater Whitewell area of Belfast, the Minister also met members of the Hazelwood Community Partnership and discussed the fence at Hazelwood Integrated School.

David Ford said: “These walls, fences and gates are daily reminders that, despite the political progress we have made over the last decade, we still have a huge challenge ahead to break down the mistrust and separation that exists within our community.

“Building a Shared Future is not an optional extra - it goes to the core of transforming society and building a new Northern Ireland in which people can live, learn and work together in safety.

“This is an ambitious goal and while security barriers can be erected in weeks, it will take time to grow the necessary community support to have them removed.

“The Department of Justice is committed to building a Shared Future and, as part of that commitment, I have met a number of local communities and put in place measures to review the existing arrangements.

“The long term solution does not rest solely with my Department. We must create partnerships at both political and community levels so that together we can start the process of removing these physical reminders of separation.”

Note to editors:

All media enquires should be directed to the Department of Justice Press Office on 028 9052 6444. Out of office hours please contact the duty press officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.