Jon McCourt: Councillors to re-examine freedom of Derry decision

Jon McCourt was nominated for the honour by People Before Profit councillor Shaun Harkin

A decision to award a former IRA member turned community peace activist, Jon McCourt, the freedom of Derry City and Strabane is to be looked at again.

Mr McCourt also formed the campaign group Survivors North West and has worked with victims of historical institutional abuse over the years.

A motion to confer on him Derry City and Strabane District Council's (DCSDC) highest honour was passed in July.

Unionist councillors present at that meeting abstained from the vote.

On Thursday, a spokesperson for DCSDC confirmed that a call-in has been received over the decision to grant Mr McCourt the freedom of the city and district.

A call-in mechanism is an opportunity for elected members at council to ask that a decision that has not yet been implemented be looked at again.

A spokesperson for the council confirmed that the decision will be considered by members at September's full council meeting.

'Very disappointing'

People Before Profit councillor Shaun Harkin, who nominated Mr McCourt for the award, said he has now received notification of the call-in.

He said this was signed by both Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) councillors.

"It is obviously very disappointing," Mr Harkin told BBC Radio Foyle.

"The call-in is also very surprising, given that both the UUP and DUP councillors present at that meeting abstained from the initial vote to award Jon the freedom of the city."

In a statement, a spokesperson for the UUP confirmed their councillors have joined with other unionists on the council to call in the proposal to award Mr McCourt the freedom of the city.

"The UUP believes the process of civic awards by the council needs to be developed further and undertake to work with others to make this happen," they said.

"To enable these discussions to take place we will make no further public comment until the council meets in September."

In July, Mr McCourt told BBC Radio Foyle he had turned down the offer of an MBE.

He said he had watched friends die on Bloody Sunday and it would be morally wrong for him to receive the same honour "as one of the soldiers who was involved in that".

'Highly commended'

In a statement the DUP said the party commended the work Mr McCourt had undertaken on the issue of historical institutional abuse.

The party said his nomination for the freedom of Derry "must not become personalised" and that its concerns were around the processes involved.

"The problem is that if this proceeds it will put future potential honours candidates in an invidious position over what they do when they are told confidentially they may be put forward for the honours list given that Mr McCourt declined his offer," a spokesperson said.

"We will work to ensure there is a sustainable process for such proposals which can secure widespread support."

Jon McCourt formed the group Survivors North West after he spoke publicly about his own experience as a child at St Joseph's Boys' Home in Termonbacca in Derry

Mr Harkin said there had been a great response from people following the announcement that Mr McCourt was to be awarded the honour.

He said he will be making the case again for him to be granted the honour in September.

Mr McCourt has worked with victims of Troubles-related violence and has been a key figure in the Peace and Reconciliation group in Derry.

He spent more than two decades campaigning for an investigation into allegations of abuse in church and state-run institutions.

In 2017, the Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) Inquiry examined the abuse of hundreds of children over seven decades.

It examined the period from 1922 to 1995 and found there had been widespread and systemic abuse at these institutions.

The chair of the inquiry, Sir Anthony Hart, recommended compensation, a memorial and a public apology to abuse survivors.

Mr McCourt formed the group Survivors North West after he spoke publicly about his own experience as a child at St Joseph's Boys' Home in Termonbacca in Derry.