Causeway Coast and Glens Council votes to fly union flag every day

The union flag is to be flown at seven Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council buildings 365 days a year.

The decision was ratified at the local authority's full council meeting on Tuesday night.

It had been agreed to by a majority of councillors in October 2021 but was not implemented until an Equality Impact Assessment was carried out.

A public consultation and staff survey found there was a "strong division of opinion on the issue".

Of the 562 respondents to the survey, 51% felt that the Union flag should fly all year round on council buildings and 11.6% said it should fly on designated days defined by the government.

Nearly a third felt it should never fly.

The union flag had previously only been permanently flown at two council buildings; the headquarters at Cloonavin and Coleraine Town Hall.

Under the new policy, it will be flown 365 days a year at Ballymoney Town Hall, Riada House and Portrush Town Hall, where it had previously only been flown at certain times.

The flag will be flown at Limavady's Council Office and the Roe Valley Arts Centre for the first time in some years.

The equality impact assessment found "the division of opinion by community background was stark.

"While 83.3% of Protestants who responded maintained that the union flag should fly permanently (365 days) on Council buildings, only 10.4% of those declaring themselves Roman Catholic felt likewise," it said.

It said that among staff, only about a third (32.8%) felt the flag should fly 365-days a year on council buildings and about a quarter of those who responded (26%) felt it should never fly.

The report said "it was also evident that there is a degree of disquiet among staff as to how both the current and proposed policy may impact on the promotion of a good and harmonious working environment within the council".

Of the 177 staff surveyed, 49.4% suggested the proposed policy would have a negative impact.

The council's Deputy Mayor Sinn Féin's Kathleen McGurk tabled an amendment to maintain the council's original policy.

She said it was a divisive issue which focused attention in the wrong area.

Her amendment was voted down by 22 votes to 17.

Afterwards, Ms McGurk said it was "regrettable that the DUP brought this motion to council several months ago".

"At a time when people are facing a cost-of-living crisis, which has been worsened by the DUP refusing to go in to the Executive to mitigate against the worst effects - its clear where the DUP's priorities are.

"Unfortunately, flags will not put food on the table and electric in peoples meters."