Reversal of bonfire sanctions welcomed, but Sinn Fein say funding progamme is 'not fit for purpose'

ANTRIM and Newtownabbey Borough Council has overturned a decision to sanction a number of bonfire groups for breaching the terms and conditions of their funding agreement by burning flags and asbestos.

The decision to dock 20% of the funding for 2026 festivities for a number of groups was voted through by the narrowest of margins - by seven votes to six at the Community Development Committee meeting in September.

Chair, Ulster Unionist Dunsilly Councillor Stewart Wilson, was not at the meeting, and would have had a casting vote.

At that meeting, members were told that incidents involving burning of flags, which constitute hate crimes, were reported.

Two were in Rathcoole, and in Neillsbrook in Randalstown, where two Irish National flags were allegedly burned and four Irish Provinces flags were said to have been burnt on the Ballycraigy behemoth.

It was also reported by a contractor, who was in attendance at Neillsbrook site to support the post-bonfire clean-up of the sand and paving stone base, that they observed what they believed to be asbestos within the bonfire remains, requiring an urgent, and costly, removal.

As part of the terms of the programme, introduced in 2018, groups are banned from erecting or displaying racist, sectarian or paramilitary paraphernalia such as flags, emblems, effigies on or in the vicinity of the bonfire site, or in the vicinity of any activities associated with the scheme.

Tyres and toxic materials should not be collected or burned on bonfires and materials should be restricted to wood.

If there is a breach of terms and conditions, a group will be given three days to address the issue. Failure to do so can result in a reduction in funding.

Twenty-three sites took part in this year’s scheme, with a budget of £171,000 for family fun days with funding of up to £3,500 each.

The committee approved a minimum reduction of £700 for each group and a review of the Bonfire Management Programme was also agreed, proposed by Dunsilly Sinn Fein rep Annie O’Lone and her party colleague Taylor McGrann.

A bid to have no sanction applied, as the breaches were detected after funding had been granted and inspections had closed, proposed by Antrim Town DUP Councillor Paul Dunlop and seconded by his party colleague Councillor Helen Magill, was defeated. But at the full monthly meeting of council last week, another DUP member, Matthew Brady, pur forward a ‘counter argument’ called for the original party proposal to stand.

He proposed that the current programme remains in place and that no sanctions be applied, seconded by Ulster Unionist Stephen Cosgrove. The DUP man asked why community groups should be penalised if someone turns up and decides to act on their own, to punish them for actions beyond their control.

Councillor Brady described 11 July as “one of the most important dates in the cultural calendar for our community” and added that growing up in a loyalist and unionist community, the comments made at the last meeting showed that there was’ a clear disconnect with ‘the communities we represent’.

He said praised the dedication and leadership of community groups and politicians and the ‘remarkable progress made in fostering pride, safety, and respect around these traditions’.

“Piles of tyres and waste are no longer the norm. If respect is to mean anything, it must work both ways

“We do not support the burning of flags, effigies and posters, those acts are not part of the tradition, and they only serve to distract from and damage our cultural expression.

“But council must be consistent and we have already made it clear that we will not pot officers at risk by asking them to intervene with bonfire builders.

“How is it fair to penalise a community group if someone turns up at the last minute and decides to act on their own?

“These volunteers are the backbone of our communities. To punish them for actions beyond their control is not only unfair - it undermines trust, discourages participation, and risks undoing years of progress.”

Councillor Cosgrove added: “I would second the proposal, we cannot build trust with fines and threats, the communities we represent need to express their cultural identity and this is how they do it.”

Richard Baker, Council chief executive, confirmed that Councillor Brady’s amendment to the recommendation of the Community Development Committee would be for no sanctions to be applied in relation to the four sites where flag burning incidents occurred, and no sanctions be applied in 2026 to the Neillsbrook bonfire site given the presence of asbestos, and the current programme remains in place.

However Alliance Antrim Town Councillor Neill Kelly said he thought it was important to review the current programme. An intial recorded vote resulted in 20 councillors in favour and 18 against, resulting in the amendment becoming the motion, with the unionist councillors voting en masse and Sinn Fein and Alliance, plus the SDLP’ Roisin Lynch forming an opposing bloc.

Dunsilly Sinn Fein Councillor Annie O’Lone, who proposed the amendment being reversed, gave a recap ‘for the benefit of members not on Community Development Committee’.

She said that a ‘very comprehensive report’ had identified incidents of flag burning, which she said are “hate crimes and should be treated as such” and a penalty should be employed as a “deterrent”.

She said that the bonfire groups in question were ‘repeat offenders going back years’.

Councillor O’Lone added that as well as hate crimes, she was “deeply concerned” to learn about the presence of asbestos inside the Neillsbrook bonfire itself , particularly from a health and safety perspective for the contractor, those who attended the event or visited the riverside walk, community centre or rugby club the next day, as asbestos fibres are particularly dangerous if they become airborne or heated.

She said that it was ‘more than reasonable that a penalty be imposed given the health and safety and environmental implications’.

Councillor O’Lone said that reversing the , ‘reasonable and proportionate’ committee decision would be ‘disappointing’ and ‘flies in the face’ of the good work done by others who adhered to the terms and condition.

Her party colleague Taylor McGrann tried to come in, but Mr Baker said that the matter had been dealt with and unless there was another amendment to be put forward, another vote would be taken.

He added: “We need to move forward and make this motion the decision of the council tonight.

“The motion has been dealt with. We need an amendment to that or move forward and ratify that.”

Alliance Councillor Billy Webb asked to raise a point of order, saying he was ‘not convinced that the way forward is correct in terms of standing orders’ but was told that the matter had been dealth with, as voting had already taken place on a previous amendment.

He said: “We, as a group, totally support the bonfire issue in relation to, that it is something the community feels very attached to, and we support that.

“I am concerned with the merging of the community groups organising these community events and them being linked to the bonfires, I would have preferred that the review of the protocol had been dealt with before this was brought before council, it concerns me since we have a protocol, are we in fact tearing up that protocol by not adhering to the terms and conditions within it?

Council Chief Executive Richard Baker said that the existing protocol makes it ‘very clear’ failure to comply with the terms and conditions: “MAY result in a reduction current year or following year, by council on a case by case basis, and it is in the hands of council, whether to sanction groups or not.”

Sinn Fein rep Eamonn McLaughlin said it was a ‘regrettable night for council’. He said that evidence-based decision were made based on documented breaches of the terms and conditions.

“Consequences much follows, groups may not have committed these crimes themselves, but they remain accountable, I have lost count of the amount of times unionist representative have called out illegality, and here we have crimes documented.

“This is weak politics and hypocrisy in plain sight. The Bonfire Management Programme is no longer fit for purpose. It was drafted in a different political era, the message to all sides needs to be that hate crimes should not be tolerable and those responsible should face sanction.”

His party colleague Councillor McGrann thanked the officers who worked on the police, which he said had been breached ‘time and time again by the same bonfires, out of the many community groups taking part, facilitated and funded by council’

“You can’t reasonably expect those community workers to challenge an individual or paramilitary group to take a flag down and put themselves at risk. The only way you can change this mindset from a minority of bigots who give loyalists a bad name is to sanction community funding,” he continued.

“Well done to those bonfires to who stuck to the terms and conditions.”

He proposed an amendment, seconded by Councillor O’Lone, for a reduction of 21% of funding for sites where flag burning incidents occurred, a 20% reduction to be applied in 2026 to the Neillsbrook bonfire site, given the presence of asbestos and a review of the current programme. This amendment fell following a vote in which 17 councillors were in favour and 21 against, with the same councillors voting along party lines/

Ulster Unionist Dunsilly Councillor Stewart Wilson said that ‘no one was more dismayed about the discovery of asbestos, and the financial implication, than the bonfire builders in Neillsbrook. He said he was ‘gravely concerned that members had intended to penalise this group’

“At no point did council conduct their own internal investigation, or sit down and meet with the group or refer the incident to the PSNI This was illegal fly tipping, they feel they are victims of an environmental crime, but may face consequences.”

Councillor Wilson said that the open nature of the site ‘leaves the door open to dump and secrete waste materials’.

But he said that the bonfire builders stand ready to engage with council and improve security.

He added that decades of stellar work by the community in Randalstown meant that the site was held up as a beacon for Northern Ireland.

A final vote on the proposal for no sanctions and for the current programme to remain in place resulted in 19 votes in favour with 18 against. It appeared that some members who had logged into the meeting remotely lost internet connections or experienced IT issues during the separate votes taking place.

Dunsilly Ulster Unionist Councillor Stewart Wilson welcomed the decision.

Speaking to the Antrim Guardian, he said: “I can assure ratepayers that no one is more dismayed at the discovery of asbestos and the resulting costs than the bonfire builders themselves.

“The Council itself admitted in its report that the asbestos was present as a result of illegal fly tipping, yet still sought to penalise the Neillsbrook group with sanctions despite them being victims of an environmental crime.

“It is clear that some Councillors did not want to follow due process in that they did not provide the Neillsbrook group the opportunity of a sit down meeting to establish the facts as I believe the electorate is entitled, nor did they refer the matter to the PSNI to open a formal criminal investigation. I am glad that common sense prevailed and these penalties were revoked.

“The Neillsbrook bonfire builders are prepared to engage with the Council going into next year to establish how the bonfire site can be better secured to prevent the criminal dumping of illegal waste within the bonfire structure.”

On the issue of burning Tricolour flags, Councillor Wilson stated: “It is important to take stock on how far the Neillsbrook site has come since signing up to the Programme to the extent that it is held up as a beacon of good practice across Northern Ireland.”

South Antrim DUP Trevor Clarke MLA also added: “I listened intently to Monday night’s council meeting and it was great to see unionist co-operation in action, where attempts from the nationalist parties, alongside their friends in the Alliance party, to demonise our culture were thwarted.

“Whilst I don’t condone dangerous acts, the most basic fundamental piece of information that was missing was evidence of the substance being on the bonfire prior to being burnt, even with a number of inspections having been carried out by council officers and the NIFRS, none of which discovered it.

“I think it would be fair, if you were cynical, to think that the substance could’ve been put onto the bonfire after being lit to stoke up tensions.

“The young bonfire builders must be commended for the direction they have taken in recent years.

“A bonfire 20 years ago compared to one now is unrecognisable. Neillsbrook bonfire and the community funday are a wonderful example of true cultural celebration where families come together to enjoy themselves.”

Councillor Dunlop added: “At full Council, bonfire sanctions were overturned, with my original recommendations upheld. The award-winning Bonfire Management Programme has successfully transformed the 11th July into safer, family-friendly events that celebrate culture with pride. Those who continue to attack the programme do so without offering solutions, revealing instead their own hidden agendas, for which the mask slips more regularly. Community groups cannot be punished for incidents that fall outside the programme’s requirements.”