Sean Barrett (Independent)

I hope we will get the restraint people have called for. In my professional capacity I used both the Green black taxis in Belfast and the Orange black taxis on the other side and was very impressed by the prisoners who, on release, operated that service. I wrote on this for a professional journal in London in the Institute of Economic Affairs. The service provided by the taxi service was a 24-hour service at 90 second frequency. I wish far more expensive public transport systems to the taxpayer could emulate that service. Let us not carry on with the grudges for too long. The former prisoners have a proven record of being really good at running urban public transport and I am sure they could bring that expertise to other areas.

The previous First Minister, Reverend Ian Paisley, spent some time in jail, as did the current First Minister, Peter Robinson. If we looked at the founding fathers of this State, we would find the same to be true with regard to former Members. People must be given the opportunity to get on with their lives. In my professional capacity I found the former prisoners I met were good, both those on the Shankill Road and in west Belfast, and the work they were doing impressed a UK audience. Let us open up the possibilities to these important developments. As I said on the earlier amendment, people must be allowed to leave their past behind when they want. Having to go to court and take on the Minister in order to get a licence is far different from someone deciding he is good at the business and setting himself up without having to tell anybody what he was doing previously. I support colleagues on this amendment.