Mr. Mickey Brady:

I thank Reverend Karen and Mr. Lunn for their presentations. It was good to see Trevor again, who I know through the assembly. This is more of a comment on my part. It has been my experience over many years that both communities in the North probably have much more in common than they often realise. As an example, when I was in the assembly, I was invited a few years ago, I believe, by Westbourne Presbyterian Community Church, by its Minister, Reverend Mervyn Gibson. This was to do with the welfare cuts. One of the things that particularly struck me was that both sides of our community were equally as badly off because of the Tory austerity measures that were being imposed and continue to be, even at this stage. Would Reverend Karen agree that, for most people in the North, it is the bread and butter issues, which some have already mentioned, which are a priority, and the effort of trying to exist? This is especially the case for people with disability - historically, we have a higher number of disabled people in the North, for whatever reason - and those people trying to exist on the benefits system. There is a myth abroad that the benefits system in the South is worse, but of course it is not. It is trying to convince people, if we are going to bring this argument forward, that they are going to be better off and that their quality of life will be improved. That is a very important point to make.

The dialogue that was involved when I spoke to a loyalist audience in east Belfast was, unfortunately, interrupted by the flag protest at that time. On a day-to-day basis I deal with people from the loyalist-unionist-Protestant community and we have absolutely no issues. We are there to help everybody.

On the question of getting a unionist voice, there was an opportunity for one of my own constituency, Ian Marshall, to be re-elected to the Seanad, but unfortunately he did not get the support he probably required.