Rónán Mullen (Independent)

Go raibh mile maith agat. On behalf of the Independent University Senators, I, too, wish to be associated with the welcome to the Grand Secretary, Mr. Nelson, and to all of our distinguished guests here today. I am particularly honoured to speak after Senator McAleese. I do not believe there is anybody in this House who does not feel deep gratitude to our former President Mary McAleese and Senator McAleese for all their work in public and in private over the past number of years to make this day and many other such days possible. Ár mbuíochas leo i gcónaí.

I am happy to address the grand secretary on behalf of the Independent University Senators, including three Senators from Trinity College. Senator Sean Barrett who is present today reminded me that the first Orange lodge in Dublin was founded in Trinity College Dublin. He also reminded me - the original source for this story is no less a weathervane of contemporary culture than Fr. Brian D'Arcy - that at a recent funeral in rural Fermanagh the sandwich making duties in the wake house were shared between the GAA and the Orange Order, which in its own way tells us how far we have come. I am glad to say we will not be relying them on for lunch today.

As has been stated by many others, this is a significant time. We are two years into what has been termed the decade of commemorations on our island. Hardly a decade passes without some element of our often fractious past being due for commemoration. However, this decade is obviously particularly special and sensitive. It is a credit to community leaders on all sides that we have a more mature phase of negotiated settlement and power-sharing.

We meet today in the shadow of a history that has shaped our island but, as others have said, we are not bound to repeat the past. We can all remember the powerful words of Queen Elizabeth II last year in Dublin Castle when she said we can bow to history but not be bound by it. This is the key message of our times, that we can respect cultures and traditions but not allow the past they represent to chart our future. This does not mean we have reached the end of history. Rather, it is a new phase which no doubt will be fraught with its own difficulties and challenges, but critically we will meet them together.

I was particularly touched by what Mr. Nelson had to say about his cherished Protestant traditions. He spoke of faith and fraternity. He also spoke about the increasingly militantly secular world in which we find ourselves. I think, and I hope Mr. Nelson will agree with me - I am sure he does - that it has never been more important we have fraternity between people of faith. One of the most pleasant moments since I was elected to the Seanad was the day when an old friend, a lecturer in engineering from my days in NUI Galway, a Protestant from Portadown, brought in his friend, the former moderator of the Presbyterian Church, Reverend Dr. Stafford Carson. We had a wonderful conversation and we discovered and realised, as we probably already knew, we had so many shared ideals and values, perhaps it is something about people of faith being able to make an optimistic proposal to the wider humanity about how the true dignity of each individual person and genuine freedom can be secured so that all can participate in the goods of society in a manner that is never oppressive and always inclusive. Mr. Nelson will have heard our moment of silence adverted to by Senator Bacik. This silence allows people of all faiths and none to approach their legislative duties in a reflective spirit. He will also have heard our prayer, which is something his tradition and the majority tradition to which most of us Senators were born can cherish equally.

As Senator McAleese stated, there is something about the need for us to be absolutely true to where we are coming from, that our accommodation can never be about dumbing down differences and rather that we reach to the deep wells of decency we all have. This is particularly true of the great Christian traditions. It is in these deep Christian traditions that we can find so much with which we can work together and, as I stated, present something positive and optimistic to our country and community. This tradition is never just about identifying rights but is also about identifying our obligations to each other. It is about not being able to use the term love, that love must be at the heart of the relationships we seek to create with each other.

These islands have been linked by repeated cross-currents of human settlement. During the fifth to the eighth centuries Scotland was invaded by Gaels from Ireland, the Anglo-Saxons from the continent and the Norse from Scandinavia. Scotland was largely converted to Christianity by Irish Scots missions associated with figures such as St. Columba from the fifth to the seventh centuries. These missions founded monastic institutions and collegiate churches which served large areas and spread literacy and a culture of learning. We share all of this tradition and beautiful heritage. In comparatively modern times we saw the plantation of Ulster, with settlers from Scotland and England under James I of England and VI of Scotland in 1609 and we share all of this history.

The point is that the strand of culture and history that makes up the modern tapestry of Northern Ireland involves a cultural exchange, through force at times but also through osmosis, and this is what has made us who we are today, shaped and moulded by a shared history. It is against this background we welcome Mr. Nelson with sincere hearts. The Orange Order he represents was founded in the crucible of inter-communal conflict in the late 18th century in Armagh but has come to represent for many members of the Protestant and Unionist community an important cultural institution. While the focus has often been inevitably on contentious parades, not so well publicised are the many efforts by Orangemen and their lodges in helping the local community, as Mr. Nelson rightly mentioned and reminded us. District lodges do considerable work to raise funds for local charities and good causes through collections, donations and fund-raising efforts.

What cannot be overlooked is that for many people in Northern Ireland the Orange Order represents a different era of political discrimination and civil rights abuses. As has been stated, the future must be about moving beyond the politics of identity. The challenge for the Orange Order in the new situation is to be a force for better understanding. This is the same challenge that faces the GAA and church organisations. We live on a small island and shared spaces have led to animosity. Accommodation requires a new mindset on both sides of the Border. Like many Irish people I was disgusted by the violence that marred the love Ulster parade in Dublin a number of years ago. The need for understanding and respect for cultural differences is not something unique to the Orange Order. In the Republic we must also make renewed efforts to respect the shared cultures that occupy our island. In doing more to foster true understanding of the past and ensuring culture is not a barrier to understanding and shared values, Mr. Nelson's visit to the House is important and a welcome step in making the term "cross-community" a reality and not just a phrase. He is very welcome. Cuirim céad míle fáilte romhat. Go mbeannaí Dia thú agus do chomhluadar uilig anois agus i gcónaí.