David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

In recent days, two significant figures have indicated their intention to withdraw from public life, namely, Robert Mugabe and Deputy Gerry Adams. One has to respect Deputy Gerry Adams for the way in which he drew Provisional Sinn Féin away from the gun and violence, and in so doing he had the very difficult task of facing down the hard men in his own group.

Therefore, it was with some surprise and sadness I heard him refer to the late Martin McGuinness as a proud IRA man. There is nothing much to be proud of in the IRA's record. My friends in Sinn Féin in this House are among the best contributors to debate in the Seanad. They are quite remarkable. They are very hard-working, very balanced and very left wing, which I like. For them, the future must be to distance themselves from the gun. They are clearly capable of change.

I was sentenced to death by Sinn Féin or the provisional movement many years ago. I ignored it. I went round and interviewed Mr. Joe Cahill in its headquarters. Nothing happened or, at least if it did, as Brendan Behan said, they carried out the death sentence in absentia. They can change. They were violently homophobic 30 or 40 years ago. They were terrible. They have changed and become among the most prominent promoters of gay rights and I salute them for this. In this new generation of leaders, whoever takes over-----