David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I join Senator Ivana Bacik in expressing my sadness at the DUP's use of an undemocratic mechanism to sabotage the vote in the Assembly. However, I prefer to see the glass as half full rather than half empty. For the first time, the Northern Assembly has, by democratic vote, stood in favour of equal marriage. That is a great thing. It seems there has been some softening of views on this issue.I saw an interview with Mr. Ian Paisley Jr. in which he spoke positively about decriminalisation and so on and so forth, but it is a little ironic that this was stopped by a combination of the Roman Catholic hierarchy and the DUP - strange bedfellows indeed.

I have been asked by Maynooth Students Union to draw attention of the House to a sad event relating to a young campaigner called Dean McCarron who was a strong fighter during the Yes Equality campaign. He was the head of Pride, the gay organisation, in Maynooth. He was energetic and fun. The Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality, Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, put out a message on social media expressing his sadness at this young man's passing. He was in San Francisco for a family wedding and he died rather suddenly and unexpectedly. Maynooth Students Union issued a statement saying:

MSU cannot find the words to express our regret at the loss of one of our stellar former students ... Dean was also a key student campaigner in the recent marriage equality referendum, and on so many student and community issues before that. He wanted to make the world around him a better place.

This is the kind of young person, regardless of sexual orientation, that this county needs, and I greatly regret his passing.