Results 1-20 of 1,186 for (in the 'Commons debates' OR in the 'Westminster Hall debates' OR in the 'Lords debates' OR in the 'Northern Ireland Assembly debates') speaker:Eddie McGrady

Oral Answers to Questions — Northern Ireland: Loyalist Paramilitaries (4 Nov 2009) has video

Eddie McGrady: Will the Minister confirm that it is the Government's urgent intent not only that there will be full and immediate decommissioning by loyalist paramilitaries, but that PSNI and the Serious Organised Crime Agency will pursue their criminally acquired assets and those of other paramilitaries past and present?

Opposition Day: [Un-allotted Half Day] — Parading in Northern Ireland (27 Oct 2009) has video

Eddie McGrady: In my comments to the House, I said that the Orange parade takes place every 12 July— 13 July this year—in Downpatrick, and I do see it.

Opposition Day: [Un-allotted Half Day] — Parading in Northern Ireland (27 Oct 2009) has video

Eddie McGrady: I have no problem with viewing the tourist attractions of the 12 July parades, be they in Downpatrick or Belfast, and I support local industry. I have never received an invitation to the Belfast parades, but where would I stand? Would it be in the Ormeau road or somewhere else?

Opposition Day: [Un-allotted Half Day] — Parading in Northern Ireland (27 Oct 2009) has video

Eddie McGrady: All of us in Northern Ireland with responsibilities as politicians have always had firmly before us the need to harmonise our communities and the diversity of opinions, politically and culturally. I, and my party, have been working towards that objective for decades. It cannot be said tonight that I am trying to, or that I wish to, score party political points at the expense of the main aim...

Opposition Day: [Un-allotted Half Day] — Parading in Northern Ireland (27 Oct 2009) has video

Eddie McGrady: I have only just started my speech. There are examples in many other areas where matters had to be addressed in a similar fashion—for example, the Fair Employment Commission has had responsibility to deliver fair employment and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive has responsibility for housing—and all have proved successful and non-contentious. If we are to fix something that I...

Opposition Day: [Un-allotted Half Day] — Parading in Northern Ireland (27 Oct 2009) has video

Eddie McGrady: Just give me a moment. [ Interruption. ] I will come back to the hon. Member. That is where we are at. The thrust of this evening's motion is the abolition of the Parades Commission—full stop. It is not about cultural expressions or the God-given right to march. Indeed, I remember asking an eminent human rights barrister about the right to use the Queen's highway to march. He told me...

Opposition Day: [Un-allotted Half Day] — Parading in Northern Ireland (27 Oct 2009) has video

Eddie McGrady: I thank the Minister for his brief interruption. What I would say in that context is that, at best, he is damning the Parades Commission with faint praise. We in the SDLP are used to that—we are damned with faint praise by the Government very often, but that is another story altogether. The Minister reiterates the need for cross-party or cross-community consensus, but I wish that he...

Opposition Day: [Un-allotted Half Day] — Parading in Northern Ireland (27 Oct 2009) has video

Eddie McGrady: I do not know whether to thank the hon. Gentleman for that interruption, but I have to deal with it. I stand corrected, but when the Patten commission dealt with community policing it endorsed the concept of a parades commission. That is where I am coming from, but if I am wrong about that, it does not make a great material difference to my point. The Ashdown report, as I understand it from...

Oral Answers to Questions — International Development: Sri Lanka (21 Oct 2009) has video

Eddie McGrady: I had the very distressing experience with the all-party group of visiting the camps at Menik farms zones 2 and 3 at Vavuniya. In spite of that distressing aspect, there was an uplifting side to the visit because of the attitude of the people and their hope for the future. Will the Minister ensure that any aid that is forthcoming from the Government is directed primarily at the welfare of the...

Oral Answers to Questions — Northern Ireland: Crime Detection (8 Jul 2009) has video

Eddie McGrady: In spite of the Minister's welcome statistics regarding the detection and resolution of crime, is he aware that the community in Northern Ireland, generally speaking, is frustrated by the failure to prevent and detect antisocial behaviour and low-level crime? Is he also aware that there was a scheme afoot to provide police community support officers? Such a scheme is essential to the...

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Engagements (17 Jun 2009) has video

Eddie McGrady: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will be brief, but I want to thank you for your personal kindness to me and my party over your many years in the Chair and outside this Chamber. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister will be aware that devolution to Northern Ireland has not been completed owing to the absence of the devolution of policing and justice. This issue has now become a political football...

Oral Answers to Questions — Northern Ireland: Decommissioning (3 Jun 2009) has video

Eddie McGrady: I wish to associate myself with the Secretary of State's remarks about the horrendous murder of Kevin McDaid and about Damien Fleming. That really was an horrendous setback for our society in Northern Ireland. The Secretary of State informed us in October 2007 that meaningful engagement and negotiation had already taken place with the independent decommissioning body. On 1 April this year,...

Oral Answers to Questions — Northern Ireland: Dissident Republican Groups (22 Apr 2009) has video

Eddie McGrady: First, I would like to be associated with earlier speakers' compliments to Sir Hugh Orde on his great work in Northern Ireland. I had the pleasure of serving with him on the Northern Ireland Policing Board. Apropos the question, does the Secretary of State know that a consequence of the horrific murders of the soldiers and the police officer is a tendency for police officers to withdraw from...

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Clause 2 — Judicial appointments and removals (4 Mar 2009) has video

Eddie McGrady: With the permission of the House, I should like to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Northern Ireland Bill (Allocation of Time) (4 Mar 2009) has video

Eddie McGrady: Let me say at the outset that, on behalf of my party, I oppose the programme motion. The House has seen plenty of legislation that needed to be passed urgently, but here we have legislation being rushed through as if it were urgent when in reality there is no urgency whatsoever in terms of politics in Northern Ireland. Whether we like it or not, we still have no date for the devolution of...

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Northern Ireland Bill (Allocation of Time) (4 Mar 2009) has video

Eddie McGrady: Not at the moment. They could not agree to that as they were indulging in a partisan stand-off over the devolution of justice. If they are willing to allow that, we can safely assume that they will be willing to let a crisis build in 2011 or 2012—and perhaps the elections coming up this year and next year will be fought on that artificially created agenda. That is why it is all the more...

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Northern Ireland Bill (Allocation of Time) (4 Mar 2009) has video

Eddie McGrady: The hon. Gentleman has intervened on the point of the political manoeuvring of last year. In my opinion, both parties were using the stand-off to create party political advantages for themselves. The general tenor of my remarks is that my party opposes the programme motion and has a mind to support the amendment of the hon. Member for Wellingborough (Mr. Bone).

Oral Answers to Questions — Northern Ireland: Peace Process (4 Mar 2009) has video

Eddie McGrady: Did the Secretary of State read the in-depth interview in the Irish News of 16 February with the leader of Oglaigh na hEireann, the group that claims responsibility for the bomb at Castlewellan in my constituency? The leader of the group claimed that the intent was to cause the maximum murder of civilians and military personnel in Ballykinler. Some of my local residents are concerned about...

Oral Answers to Questions — Northern Ireland: Paramilitary Decommissioning (21 Jan 2009) has video

Eddie McGrady: Is the Secretary of State aware that there is no belief in the community in Northern Ireland, in the PSNI, in the Police Federation or in the loyalist communities that decommissioning will take place between now and 2010? Is he aware that 29 police officers are under threat at the moment and that five face death threats from loyalists? The police say that they know where the weapons are. What...

Oral Answers to Questions — Northern Ireland: Political and Economic Developments (19 Nov 2008) has video

Eddie McGrady: Like the Secretary of State, I welcome the agreement made yesterday between the Democratic Unionist party and Sinn Fein to reinstitute the Executive. It is great that the solution has come from the parties that created the problem in the first place. Notwithstanding that, I hope he agrees that it is most important to the economic welfare of Northern Ireland, which is the kernel of this...