Loyalist paramilitaries in the Co Antrim town of Larne have embarked on a campaign to ethnically cleanse it of Catholics, a Sinn Fein MLA has claimed.
Mr John Kelly was speaking during an Assembly debate on sectarian incidents in Larne where 53 Catholics and 32 Protestants were attacked last year.
Mr Kelly said: "Whatever about the unionist people of Larne who have been attacked, it is the nationalist people who are bearing the brunt of these attacks."
These were part of a pattern of attacks on Catholics in the town, carried out by UDA members and aimed at "ethnically cleansing loyalist areas".
Mr Danny O'Connor, of the SDLP, called for the RUC to do more to stop the attacks.
Mr Sean Neeson, the leader of the Alliance party, called on the Assembly to provide leadership for besieged families living in fear. He was speaking after three homes, two Catholic and one Protestant, were attacked on Monday night in the Antiville and Craigyhill estates.
Mr Roy Beggs, of the UUP, said the violence was by no means one sided.
Mr Roger Hutchinson, of the DUP, admitted there were problems in the town but insisted the matter could have been dealt with better by the six MLAs for the area getting together "behind closed doors".
The debate followed a wave of sectarian pipe bombings in Larne in recent weeks.
The Assembly, meanwhile, condemned the British government's response to a report accusing it of adopting a "see-no-evil, hear-no-evil" approach to paramilitary punishment beatings.
A report by University of Ulster academics said the government had not done enough to address the issue. Moving a motion noting the report and condemning government inaction, the Rev Ian Paisley accused the First Minister, Deputy First Minister and Northern Secretary of believing that there was an "acceptable level of violence" in the North.