Mark Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Will the Leader arrange a debate on some of the parades taking place in Belfast? I pay tribute to the Catholic community in Carrick Hill in Belfast, who organised a dignified protest against the Orange Order parade that went through their area at the weekend. Over the summer months there has been serious tension in Carrick Hill because of the triumphalist nature of the parades and the anti-Catholic and sectarian songs being played by the Orange Order, the Apprentice Boys and the Royal Black Preceptory as they went past St. Patrick?s Church in Carrick Hill. I pay tribute to the women of Carrick Hill, who held a silent and dignified protest outside their church, and to Mr. Frank Dempsey, the community organiser who ensured the protest went off without incident. I witnessed it with other Members of the House and civil servants from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and it was quite a sight to behold. There were 100 PSNI Land Rovers and hundreds of PSNI officers around this church with only 50 of the Carrick Hill community allowed to protest and with thousands of bandsmen and women passing this church in what can only be described as an intimidating manner, but it went off peacefully.

The head of the Orange Order spoke in the House about debate. We called for talks between the communities, which they want, with the Orange Order so as to ensure that the parades pass off peacefully.

If the Cathaoirleach will bear with me, I wish to raise two other issues; one is social welfare on which the Labour Party was giving out to Fine Gael about proposed cuts to child benefit prior to the previous election. The Labour Party was castigating Fine Gael for putting forward proposals on changing child benefit.