The South Belfast MLA stated: "Sometimes 'Good Relations' is seen as an easy issue, which is only prioritised when it comes to cutting the budget for it. However, the unrest in the Broadway area last weekend demonstrates that there is still a lot of work to do.
"It is unfortunate, therefore, that we have seen so little evidence of progress on reviewing Good Relations programmes over the past decade or so, and applying the learning from such reviews to an enhanced and fully funded Good Relations strategy. This needs to be much higher in the First Minister's and deputy First Minister's in-tray."
"There is, sadly, little evidence of any urgency around this since restoration. The fact is, however, that we should long ago have done more to tackle predictable tensions. Good Relations and broader reconciliation remain key priorities in a society recovering from conflict such as ours. This is not a matter of what we can afford to do, but what we can afford not to do."