David McNarry
Strangford · Ulster Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“I am somewhat astounded — actually, flabbergasted — by the amounts. These are fines and penalties. The Minister said little about the reasons or whether there had been repetitive failures. Given that she might elaborate on that, can she also tell us what, in fact, she is doing to stop future fines and penalties of this nature?”
“Being ahead of the Minister is certainly something. Will he say that, as the Housing Executive cannot borrow money and housing associations are already heavily committed financially, he will not propose high rent increases, regardless of whether he has got this report today?”
“I suspect that most if not all people in pain do not give a toss or care who does the procedure at the end of the day. Will the Minister tell the House what the cost differences between the private sector and the public sector work out as?”
“Unlike some, those parents, knowing fine well what the opportunities may have been for their baby but nevertheless facing the shock of stillbirth, wanted to give their baby a chance. We have no right to bestow on ourselves as legislators the making of laws that promote terminations, as listed in this amendment.”
“It has not required, and still does not require, a new meaning, as some would want to give it today. What has altered? It is emotional, and, at times, that is understandable. Emotions have sadly been drawn into it.”
“This is where the fancy-worded tampering amendments like this, and others that will surely follow if we pass this, will end up. <BR /> <BR />Mr Speaker, just digressing for a moment, with your indulgence, it is close to the subject for the Health Minister's proposed task team, which I welcome.”
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“He carried out his duties with dignity and with pride taken in the high office that he held, an office that we, in this House, elected him to fulfil. He leaves with our full confidence and genuine thanks for representing all our views when he called us to order. So I say good luck to him, and thanks.”
“He perfected that knack of listening to your beef and leaving you knowing fine well that you were going nowhere, but you really did feel better having had the conversation. As a Chief Whip, I found Willie to be wily, in that, on occasions when a Member sailed close to the wind, he would make it clear to me that the offending Member was treading a reprimand. That was a great trick, which meant that the Member in question inevitably fell out with me, the messenger, and thought that the Speaker was a great fellow all round. <BR /> <BR />He was, we must say, our elected and official Speaker of the Assembly: a real gentleman, a nice guy. He was nobody's fool; he was shrewd and a blooming good negotiator. He will be a very hard act to follow.”
“On behalf of UKIP, not only do I say thanks to our former Speaker, I wish him a speedy recovery and time to enjoy his retirement from this place and secondment to another place. I also add my compliments to his staff, who served him well and were part of the service that we received from the Speaker's office. <BR /> <BR />One of the many compliments that one can give Willie Hay is that he will be missed; he was our behaviour controller in an effective and impartial manner. As a referee, I recall him making only one serious mistake, when he red-carded me and ejected me from this place. The fact that he did so in ruling on a Shinner's complaint still irks me, but I bear no lasting grudge against him. <BR /> <BR />He was ever the diplomat.”
“It seems that over such a short period, we have been paying tributes, and properly so, in this House to others who have left us. That has become commonplace, but nevertheless I am very pleased that the Assembly allows and dedicates moments like this for Members to make fitting tributes to people, particularly people like George, who will be missed. <BR /> <BR />He is, as you said Principal Deputy Speaker, our late friend and colleague, and I am sure that his wife, Joy, and his family will receive the message loud and clear of how we held him in such high regard in the Northern Ireland Assembly.”
“Like most, I knew George Savage for a long, long time. Throughout that time, it was a pleasure to talk to him, have dealings with him and listen to him. He was an outstanding character — "character" being the operative word — about whom you could say, "He did what it says on the tin." That was specifically George's way of doing business. <BR /> <BR />I have heard my former colleagues in the Ulster Unionist Party use the word, "stalwart", which in this case is very apt. I offer my sincere condolences to them for the loss that they must feel. There must be a tremor going through George's former constituency and among the people who knew him: he loved them as much as they loved him. <BR /> <BR />For someone like me, who held him in the highest esteem, these occasions are extremely sad, as they are for us all.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. The questions to be asked are surely these: is this school receiving a fair hearing, has it received a fair hearing and is fair action being contemplated by the Department and the Minister? Will the House ever receive in this instance a fair hearing from this Sinn Féin Minister?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Would he agree with me that this debate and the area we are talking about resonates across Northern Ireland, no more so — I will be brief — than in my constituency, where this morning over 2,000 children caught a bus to go to the school that their parents wanted them to go to. That is not by choice, but because of its absence in their area. Therefore, the lesson from the debate is that we should take care in every constituency. Those in the Alliance Party who are wavering should take care. What is happening and has been happening in Fermanagh for the past 10 years will happen —”
“It was a yes to work in progress, a yes to move forward, and a yes to ensuring Northern Ireland's continued Britishness. Our job from here on is to hold that line and do what we think is best for our country. Rest in peace, Dr Paisley, and thank you for your time in office.”
“It was an amazing time and an amazing day when he made that decision. Some concluded then disappointment in him. Well, I did not. How could you be disappointed when he took on, and took over, the groundwork cleared out painfully and to the cost of others before him, which culminated in him walking into office as First Minister? I would like to think that, whilst the issue was the same for any unionist and therefore fraught with complexities, the solution in the end proved to be relatively simple. Ultimately, he chose what he thought was good for the people and best for the country, and it is in that context that I pay tribute to him. <BR /> <BR />So, I say respectfully: thanks, "Doc". The "never" moved towards a "maybe" and turned into a "yes".”
“On behalf of Nigel Farage and myself, I extend condolences to Baroness Paisley and the family circle. Our thoughts and prayers are with them, of course. <BR /> <BR />We are gathered to pay tribute to Ian Paisley as our former First Minister. This is a time for respect, so let us face it and be honest that, without Ian Paisley saying yes and embracing power-sharing, this Assembly would not be here today nor would we be in a position to make this tribute. I suspect that listening to us right now — some sworn enemies, some hypocrites and some in genuine grief and despair — "the Doc" would be having a good chuckle. His sense of humour, certainly for me, took us through many traumas. <BR /> <BR />He shocked outsiders and insiders when he led the DUP into power-sharing with republicans.”
“I take that point. It is well made. I agree that there is a long history of Irishmen, before this state was founded, serving loyally and that that continues to this day. <BR /> <BR />I heard a reference to Irish culture at the end of Ms Ruane's piece. The offence to me and many like me at the event actually showed the door to me for Irish culture. It said, "Don't come in. You are not welcome. If you happen to trespass in here, this is what we want to sing about you". Irish culture may be very fine, but let us share it and recognise our own culture as well.”
“There is not an ounce of hatred in my head or in my heart, not a smidgen of inciting anyone nor a desire to cause offence in the practice of my belonging to the Orange Institution. There is no slippage on my part from adhering to the qualifications of being an Orangeman. I am, in all that, a typical, ordinary Orangeman, and the very idea that a publicly funded body would cover the expense of an event mired in disgrace over its choice of entertainment affronts me as I am sure it does Mr Hussey, who I will give way to.”
“Tell me this: what is the defence? Do the excusers mean that calls to kick the Orange and kick the army were offensive or regrettable but not incitement? Draw the line, Members, between the difference: offensive, highly regrettable but not incitement. Please, do not try to insult us by pretending that it was all just a bit of fun. There is no pretence. It was sick fun at other people's expense, and, much more, it was meant. <BR /> <BR />I am the only leader of a local party in the House who is a member of the Orange Institution. I am proud to be so and proud to be a past assistant Grand Master of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland. I will and do stand up for Orangeism.”
“Funding an outward expression of hatred cannot be the role of the Community Relations Council or any other funder. <BR /> <BR />I am one of the Orangemen whom the crowd begged to be sent back to England where we came from. Yes, I am a proud unionist, and I recognise the effects, in life lost and limb risked here in my name by those serving in Her Majesty's armed forces — the same Her Majesty whom Martin McGuinness desperately wanted to shake hands with. Let me say that I am going nowhere. I did not come from England, but I have Orange colleagues who do. I also have many colleagues who live in England, Scotland, Wales and across the free world and belong to the Orange Institution. There is no doubt that the apologists — we have heard them — for the "Kick the Orange" and "Kick the army" bands will defend that audience.”
“I actually received an invitation to this event. Fortunately, I had a prior engagement, but imagine how I would have felt being there, trapped in a crowd belting out hatred against me whilst I sat alongside them. From the footage of the audience participation it is clear to anyone that the audience needed no encouragement to demonstrate hatred. The hatred was obvious, and it came out naturally. It was naked sectarianism — anti-British bile roared with approval by an audience that enjoyed every minute of the abuse directed at soldiers and members of the Orange Order. How on earth was that scene on film anything to do with community relations, when, as a result and as is abundantly clear from this debate, it has set back relations?”
“Sam Foster was the master of the short, concise statement, which, if you were on the receiving end of it, either stood you up or knocked you back. You always knew, after talking to Sam, where you stood. There are many good 'uns who have come out of Fermanagh, and, in my humble opinion, Sam is right up there with the best of them. <BR /> <BR />This is a fitting tribute to Sam, a former colleague, which I am proud and pleased to be associated with. I thank the House for enabling us to say so.”