Mary White (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Thank you, Reverend Hamilton. I agree with Deputy Martin Ferris that the Loyalist side needs political leadership. In the past there was stronger leadership on the Loyalist side, but it did not grow.

I have never been more impressed by a picture in The Irish Times than I am by the picture of the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Mairtín Ó Muilleoir, carrying out his civic duty, standing shoulder to shoulder with his Unionist colleagues to commemorate Remembrance Day. I am overwhelmed. I rang him to say we were quite ambiguous here about Poppy Day, even though probably all of us had family members who had participated in the two world wars, some of whom had died. He inspired me. I will never hesitate again on the issue of commemoration of the two world wars. My husband and I have visited the Somme. My husband is from County Leitrim and many people from his village died at the Somme. I compliment the Lord Mayor because he did his civic duty and did not back off. He gave personal example to me. I thought it was an example of what a good politician should do, not to be afraid of the people who might not be enthusiastic about what one was doing.