Deputy Stormont speaker - an ex-IRA bomber - emphasises that her word is final after shutting down speech about IRA bomb
Caral Ni Chuilin has begun today’s proceedings at Stormont by emphasising that the speaker’s word is final, following clashes with TUV MLA Timothy Gaston.
Ms Ni Chuilin – the principal deputy speaker of the Assembly (who chairs proceedings when the speaker, Edwin Poots, is absent) – had silenced Mr Gaston at day earlier when he began to speak about a fatal IRA bombing which had taken place 50 years ago.
This morning before opening up the floor of the Assembly, she quoted previous advice to MLAs that “the ruling of the chair is final” and that “it is out of order to challenge whomever is in the chair”.
She added “there is no discussion to be had on the issue”, adding that members must both stick to the topic at hand, and not use a statement to the Assembly to attack another MLAs.
The friction between Sinn Fein MLA Ms Ni Chuilin and Mr Gaston arose on Monday during a debate about a bomb alert at a Sinn Fein office.
A viable device had been discovered overnight from Sunday to Monday in Monaghan Street, Newry. It was defused.
Mr Gaston had said: “I join other members in condemning the pipe bomb attack in Newry. Such activity has no place, and it never had a place, in any democratic society.
"Today, although we rightly think about what could have happened but for the prompt action of the security forces, and of the British Army bomb squad in particular, my mind turns back to the events on this very day half a century ago, 6 October 1975.
"On that date, a 45-year-old RUC detective constable, David Smyth Love, responded to reports of a robbery at a bar on the Dungiven Road, three miles outside Limavady. The criminals held staff and customers at gunpoint...”
At that point Ms Ni Chuilin began to object, telling him to return to the topic at hand.
An argument ensued, and Mr Gaston said: “With all due respect, madam principal deputy speaker, what I am saying is relevant to what we have, which is the hypocrisy of Sinn Fein.
"It is experiencing today what it inflicted on many people up and down this country through its years of terrorism.”
He was ordered to take his seat, and was told “you are challenging the authority of the chair” and “if you persist, there will be consequences”.
Ms Ni Chuilin was convicted of trying to bomb Crumlin police station in 1989.
An even more protracted argument between the two erupted later, when Mr Gaston rose to speak about the Manchester synagogue attack.
When Mr Gaston made reference to a Sinn Fein member’s support for Kneecap following the recent failed prosecution of Mo Chara (Liam O’Hanna) over the display of a Hezbollah flag, he was again told to take his seat.
She told him to “have a bit of manners” saying he “disrespected the rules” and adding: “I seriously advise you to think again.”
Mr Gaston in turn told her: “You do not deserve to be in the chair if you cannot be neutral.”