Rt Hon Karen Bradley MP Leaders of the main religious traditions in Ireland have said it is vital to focus on restoring devolution in the North, which must happen through “ongoing dialogue”.
Bishops and religious met with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Rt Hon Karen Bradley MP, on October 8 at Stormont House in Belfast. The meeting took place as the Secretary of State also met with the main political parties to discuss restoring devolution.
Following the meeting, the Church leaders said, “We welcomed the opportunity this morning to meet with the Secretary of State as part of the ongoing process of seeking to restore devolution to Northern Ireland.
“Our discussions today came on the back of our meeting with the political parties a week ago, where we discussed our concerns over the impact of the absence of devolved government in Northern Ireland and the importance of relationships and building trust.
They added that it is essential to promote “ongoing dialogue” between different religious communities and political parties in order tackle future challenges.
“We also impressed upon the Secretary of State those same concerns, as we did last week with the party leaders, and reiterated our willingness and desire to assist and support where we could in the challenges that lie ahead. We also emphasised the imperative to find space for ongoing dialogue.”