Clerics should quit groups exclusive to one religion, FG leader declares

Catholic and Protestant clerics should withdraw from organisations that are exclusive to one religion or another, the Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, told the Dail.

It was wrong that "Protestant clergymen take part in the Orange Order. It would be equally wrong if Catholic clergymen associate themselves too closely with one political party or political aspiration."

In a debate on Northern Ireland, Mr Bruton focused much of his speech on sectarianism, and said there was a need for the Christian churches to be much more proactive. He supported denominational education, but in Northern Ireland "the Christian thing to do" was to support integrated education. "Separate education is a luxury that Northern Ireland cannot afford."

The Opposition leader also said there would be no settlement unless "positive leadership is shown within both communities to end sectarianism". He said strong, visible, anti-sectarian leadership was needed from all parties to the talks.

"Each of the parties must confront the sins of their own supporters, not those of their opponents. If unionist leaders are to confront and disown Orange sectarianism, nationalist leaders must confront and disown the legacy of IRA violence."

Mr Bruton stressed the working of internal institutions in Northern Ireland "is crucial to the whole edifice. If they do not work, neither the North/South body, nor the East/West body, will work."

He asked who would have responsibility for the bodies and how the funding would be divided. Would they have their own civil servants or would officials be seconded from British and Irish Government departments? He stressed the "European Commission only worked because a new European Union civil service was established."

The operation of the various strands of the talks was also taken up by the Labour deputy leader, Mr Brendan Howlin. Political parties could not choose to be enthusiastic about one strand of the talks and uninvolved in another.

It was "crucial" that North/South relations were given significant form and substance. "The process is an integrated one and ultimate success is dependent on a satisfactory conclusion on all three strands which can be endorsed by a popular vote of the people, North and South."

The Government and the Oireachtas had a unique role in this, he said. "The more we are prepared to share executive power in the operation of agencies which we have successfully established in the South and which have complementary agencies in the North, the more real substance can be assigned to the operation of that North/South dimension."

Welcoming the British Prime Minister's announcement of a new inquiry into Bloody Sunday, he said there was a responsibility on those who caused other deaths in the North to follow this example. "I refer in particular to those victims known as the disappeared - people who have disappeared at the hands of terrorist organisations." He added: "If we are to learn from the past it must be from the entire past and not just a selective view of history."

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ms Liz O'Donnell, described as "courageous" the decision to order the inquiry. But she added: "In welcoming the new Bloody Sunday inquiry, we seek to take nothing from the sense of loss of the other bereaved - indeed last week's decision has served to bring into relief again the scale of the toll of violence across all of Northern Ireland and beyond."

Mr Caoimhghin O Caolain (SF, Cavan-Monaghan) said loyalist killings were being used in an effort to terrorise "the entire nationalist community into lowering their political demands", and into returning to a Stormont regime. Sinn Fein was opposed to a six-county assembly, he said, and judging from UUP responses "we are not confident that any new assembly would not be a return to unionist domination and discrimination".

The Democratic Left leader, Mr Proinsias De Rossa, said the key challenge facing parties in Northern Ireland was not simply to insist on proposals that would be supported by their own supporters. "If any side wins too much it reduces the prospects of overall acceptance of the package."

Mr Trevor Sargent (Green Party, Dublin North) said one of the worst aspects of the tragedy in Northern Ireland "is that so many voices go unheard, especially women's voices".