In the days leading up to the Twelfth celebrations the bonfire debate was re-ignited. Despite the yearly occurrence of this debate, politicians have once again failed to produce a robust bonfire strategy.

Rather, two days prior to the Eleventh Night, Belfast City councillors obtained an injunction against bonfires in a bid of ‘preserving public safety and avoiding and minimising damage to property’, but the injunction made no attempt to prevent such bonfires from being lit.

This late and feeble pursuit is quite frankly not worth the paper it is written on.

In light of the injunction that received cross-community report, BBC broadcaster, Stephen Nolan visited some of the largest and recklessly built bonfires in Belfast. If you can bear to hear past the foul language and aggressive tone, what you will detect from the young locals who attempted to defend their bonfires is that of anguish: anguish that should make us all sit up and listen.

It must first be pointed out that this article does not underestimate the dangers the unsafe bonfires nor does it set out to condone the burning of flags or effigies on them. That said, there is a wider narrative at play here that should not be overlooked.

For decades now educational underachievement has been a recurring theme in Protestant working class areas, particularly among boys. The demographics of those who build bonfires are well known and given it is well established that poverty and educational under-achievement go hand in hand, we can forget about tackling the bonfire issue until such issues are radically addressed.

Another factor that must be considered is the ever awkward disconnect between ‘Big House Unionism’ and working class loyalism. This has been solidified by the fact that Unionist politicians who supported the injunction have yet to publicly back it.

Yet it was only a matter of weeks ago that Unionist politicians were plaguing the letter boxes of these communities in search of ‘a strong unionist mandate’. Until loyalist areas can look up to compelling representatives, self-appointed leaders will continue to lead communities in whatever way they see fit.

It would be disingenuous to claim that extra funding would solve the problem. However, the proper management of funding could make a difference. Unlike the mismanagement of the Social Investment Fund that came to light in 2016, any further social funding must be managed, distributed and monitored in a way that does not undermine its purpose.

In the meantime, the most ignorant thing our society can do is to avoid reducing the narrative of bonfire building to nothing more than anti-social behaviour, and the most dangerous thing Unionist leadership can do is continue to bury their heads in the sand.

If we can avoid these two things, next year we might see at least some progress towards safely-constructed bonfires that all sections of the community can enjoy safely and inclusively.