---

Royal Irish Regiment (Home Service)

I apologise for being a few minutes late due to circumstances over which I had no control. This is a day of shadows for Northern Ireland, because any lessening of the link with the United Kingdom is always looked on with suspicion by Unionists, who are as determined as ever to remain part of the Union. Moreover, the majority of the people of Northern Ireland for whom I speak do not believe that this is a time at which any of our defences against the terrorists should be removed. However, a decision has been made to do away with the Home Service of the Royal Irish. Does the Minister agree that the sacrifices of the Home Service can never be adequately compensated, especially taking into consideration that the members who lived at home had those homes and their families targeted as a result? The price of their life’s blood, which many of them sacrificed, cannot be valued. Therefore, does he agree that the enhancement payments are not an attempt to put a price on the sacrifices made by those gallant men and should not be regarded in that way? I am sure that the Minister will agree with my colleagues and me that we put to him, the Secretary of State for Defence and the Prime Minister as strong a case as we could, based on comparative equality with payments made to the RUC and to prison officers. I must put on the record our thanks to him, the Secretary of State and the Prime Minister for all their help on the matter, for the way that they listened to the tough talking from the Ulster Members and for doing their best to help us. I am personally glad that the social and economic difficulties that those men have to face in gaining employment in Northern Ireland are recognised by the Government, and we will of course have ongoing talks on those matters. I thank the Minister especially for his tribute to the sacrifice and fortitude of those men. They deserve all our gratitude. We salute today the memory of the gallant dead of the regiment and the bravery of all who fought the good fight, and we wish their families God’s richest blessing.