David Cullinane (Sinn Fein)

As leader of the Sinn Féin group in the House I welcome the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Deenihan, former Members of the House, ambassadors, members of the Orange Order from throughout the island of Ireland and its grand secretary, Mr. Nelson. He is very welcome to the Seanad today.

This is an historic occasion. It is the first time the Orange Order has addressed the Oireachtas. It is also the first public and direct engagement between a member of my party and the Orange Order and this is also significant and is to be welcomed. As a republican I believe the Orange Order is an important organisation. It is part of what we are as a nation. It would be an understatement for me to say the relationship between republicans and my party and the Orange Order is not what it should be. We must build on the dialogue which has been the bedrock of the peace process.

The point made by the grand secretary on the engagement today being an opportunity to act as a springboard to the future is one with which I warmly agree. This future must be underpinned by mutual respect, equality and tolerance. I also accept as a republican that members of the Orange Order have been hurt by republicans as a consequence of the conflict. Equally, members of my community have been hurt and have suffered at the hands of some of the organisations mentioned by Mr. Nelson in his contribution. However, we cannot always be prisoners of the past. We must look to the future and we must build a better future for all of us. I genuinely believe that dialogue is the best way to resolve issues. While I refute the claim that the republican movement, as it was put, was responsible for the burning of Orange halls I strongly condemn any such actions by any members of any community. Burning Orange halls is wrong and is anti-republican in my view. It is sectarian and should be challenged.

We all face challenges to resolve the issue of what are deemed contentious marches and parades. I have no difficulty as a republican in accepting that Orangemen have a right to parade. However, I also believe those communities through which the Orange Order seeks to march have rights also. Dialogue, which was so important to the peace process, is the best way to achieve this. I encourage the grand secretary to build on today as an opportunity to engage in direct dialogue with the residents' associations and representatives of those communities through which the Orange Order seeks to march, and build on the success of what happened in Derry when the Apprentice Boys engaged in direct dialogue, because this is the future.

We all want to build a better Ireland for all of us. We have had many significant and historic moments over the course of recent months, all of which are important in their own right. I warmly welcome Mr. Nelson for this very important engagement. On behalf of my party I also extend a warm invitation and welcome to members of the Orange Order from throughout the island of Ireland. I look forward to continuous engagement between representatives of my party and Mr. Nelson's organisation.