Statement: Senator Bacik speaks at Address of Orange Order

STATEMENT BY SENATOR IVANA BACIK
 
Labour Party Seanad leader and Spokesperson on Justice

Tuesday 3rd July 2012

SENATOR BACIK SPEAKS AT ADDRESS OF ORANGE ORDER

Senator Ivana Bacik will be speaking this morning on behalf of the Labour Senators group, following the address by Drew Nelson of the Orange Order in the Seanad chamber, and will say:

“I see this visit today, the first by any representative of the Orange Order in either House of the Oireachtas, as marking another step in the peace process. We have seen in the course of the last 18 months a number of historic milestones, notably the visit by the Queen of England to Ireland in 2011. Steps like these mark important progress towards normalisation of relations between the communities in Northern Ireland, and indeed normalisation of relationships between our two islands. For this reason I welcome today’s event in the Seanad chamber, whatever misgivings I and other Labour members would undoubtedly share about aspects of the Orange Order as an organisation.”

ENDS