Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:
“I commend Christian Action Research and Education (CARE) for their work on revealing that there have been over 400 attacks on places of worship in Northern Ireland in the last three years.
“These statistics are truly shocking and yet the issue has received virtually no attention in the media. Does anyone believe that if the PSNI had been receiving reports of attacks on any other section of society every other day of the week for the past three years it would pass without comment?
“This is a problem which is not limited to one section of Northern Ireland but it is manifesting itself across the Province. These attacks on a fundamental human right – the right to freedom of religion – cannot be allowed to continue.
“I support CARE’s call for the Places of Worship (POW) protective security funding scheme which provides funding for protective security measures to places of worship to be extended to Northern Ireland and call upon the PSNI to make a concerted effort to address this issue and bring those responsible for attacks to justice.”