David Norris (Independent)

As one who comes from a former southern Unionist background, who is not a Roman Catholic or a republican, and is a Nationalist in as far as I love this country, I commend the Taoiseach on the extraordinary patience, skill and dignity with which he mustered the ability to make a long telephone call to Dr. Ian Paisley yesterday. That shows considerable grit and he increased his stature by so doing. The same dignity was not reflected on the other side.

With regard to the issue of photographs, the IRA is very sensitive. It was not quite so sensitive when it put up imitation road signs saying Sniper at Work, and did not seem to worry about the impact they would have on people such as the family of Stephen Rosterick. Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionist Party need to grow up and give the majority of decent people in this country a chance to live their ordinary lives.

Will the Leader ask the appropriate Minister — perhaps it should be the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform — to consider the naming in newspapers of people accused of crimes? Last week, all the newspapers, including the principal papers of record, carried the name, age, occupation and address of somebody accused of having child pornography on a computer. This is a very nasty offence but the man is innocent until proven guilty. He has already been punished by the newspapers. He had a defence, as people usually do, and it may well be one that works. What is the situation for him and his family after all this? This type of procedure should be stopped. It is not right and it does not respect the principle that people are innocent until proven guilty.

I welcome the statements from the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform on the immigrant families of babies born here. We had a good, detailed, well-informed, well-briefed debate in the Seanad in which the Minister participated fully and took on board many of the things said on all sides of the House. This issue was not one of the Opposition versus the Government. We have arrived at a more humane situation than that which might have obtained. It was work well done.