Debate contribution: Garvaghy Road: Residents' Rights
Debate contribution by Ms Michelle O'Neill on .
- MLA
- Ms Michelle O'Neill
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 19 October 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Garvaghy Road: Residents' Rights
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5795746
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I absolutely agree with the Member. For almost 30 years, the people of the Garvaghy Road lived in relative peace. They had spent years picking up the pieces after the trauma that was inflicted on them 28 years ago. They had spent all those years making progress and building good, strong community relations. Then, along come the Orange Order, championed by political unionism, wanting to reopen a wound that had closed. A decision was taken 28 years ago. I have to ask this question: why does political unionism want to undo progress? Why is it obsessed with the past? Why is it obsessed with the days of triumphalism, sectarianism and intimidation? Why is it obsessed with trampling on the rights of a small Catholic community? People will make up their own mind about why. The people of the Garvaghy Road have a right to live in peace and to expect the peace that they have built to continue, and I assert that right with them.
165 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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