Jeffrey Donaldson criticises President Higgins for declining invite to church service with queen

President Michael D Higgins is facing increasingly strong calls to explain why he declined an invitation to attend a commemorative church service with Queen Elizabeth marking the 100th anniversary of partition and the creation of Northern Ireland.

It emerged on Wednesday that Mr Higgins would not be present at the event scheduled for next month in Armagh, though it is not clear why he will not be at the service.

Some politicians in the North have appealed to Mr Higgins to provide more information as to the reason for his decision, with the DUP, Ulster Unionists and Alliance Party asking for clarity.

DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson and Alliance MP Stephen Farry called on Mr Higgins to reconsider his decision and attend the service, with Mr Donaldson describing it as “regrettable” and a “retrograde step” which was “based on politics”.

The Service of Reflection and Hope will mark 100 years since the partition of Ireland and the creation of Northern Ireland.

It is organised by the leaders of the main Christian churches in Ireland, who had anticipated that Mr Higgins would take part as head of State.

His spokesman told The Irish Times on Tuesday that Mr Higgins was “not in a position to attend” the service.

Mr Higgins, who is on a four-day official visit to Rome, has so far declined to comment further. He will meet Pope Francis on Friday.

He has not responded to the suggestion by the DUP on Wednesday night that he was “snubbing” the service, or that he was joining nationalists in “boycotting” such events.

The President does not need to request permission from the Government to travel to Northern Ireland so the decision was made by his office, without reference to the Department of the Taoiseach.

Sources said on Wednesday that a Government representative will attend the service, but also said an invitation to attend had not been received as yet.

Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster’s Stephen Nolan Show on Thursday morning, Mr Donaldson said he hoped Mr Higgins would “rethink this decision because it is not conducive to the kind of respectful relationship which we want to see for the head of state of our neighbouring jurisdiction not to attend a service of this nature.

“In the absence of clarity around the reason for President Higgins not attending this service I think many may reach the conclusion that it is a decision based on politics,” he said.

“When you consider the standard that Her Majesty the Queen has set when she went to Dublin in that historic visit and indeed went to Cork and other parts of the Republic of Ireland as well, she crossed many boundaries in the visit, she broke many taboos.

“I think she set a lead and a clear example of how to do reconciliation.

“I think it is a retrograde step, it takes us backwards when the President of the Republic of Ireland cannot attend a service of this nature which has been called by the churches.

“The churches are setting an example here,” he said, adding that “sets the tone for this service and it is regrettable that President Higgins is unable to attend.”

Mr Farry said he hoped Mr Higgins would reconsider his decision, saying “this event is very much in keeping with the reconciliation efforts of successive Irish presidents and the Queen over recent years, and the inclusive approach to marking the decade of centenaries.” Additional reporting - PA.

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