David Norris (Independent)

Will the Leader consider No. 22, motion 7, which proposes to extend the Order of Business? It is rather bad for the House that Members undermine without wishing to the authority of the Cathaoirleach because there are matters we want to raise. The Order of Business is the best attended part of the day and it is the aspect of our business to which the media pay most attention. It is very often the time at which the most interesting debate takes place. It would serve the House well to discuss whether we can change the terms under which the Cathaoirleach presides over the Order of Business to facilitate a better, more efficient debate. More time should be provided to allow every Member who wishes to speak an opportunity to do so.

I share Senator Ryan's disquiet on the moves which are afoot to lift the EU embargo on the sale of arms to China. I am very sorry the Taoiseach appears to be going along with the plan. We have complained a great deal about bullying and murder by the IRA. I remember Brendan Behan saying that people complained about the small bombs of the IRA but not about nuclear bombs. We should do both and bear in mind that arms sold to China may be used against the people of Tibet who have been the subject of a continuous cultural genocide. The Chinese are driving a railway into the country and intend to flood the place. It is a disaster and instead of sending China arms, we should raise human rights issues.

I join with my colleagues in saying that the McCartney sisters are women of the most extraordinary courage and dignity. Given that they were all Sinn Féin voters, their response cannot be impeached. It was chilling to hear them say they had known things before to which they turned a blind eye because such activities were part of the culture. They mentioned a rape, the use of a hot iron on a woman's breast and the fact that the thugs in the pub in question said, "Do you know who we are? We are the IRA". This is not acceptable. We owe the McCartneys a great debt for having the courage to expose this behaviour within their own tradition. As I said yesterday, this kind of thing also occurs in the Unionist community. In the absence of support for policing on both sides, it may, regrettably, continue.