NORTHERN IRELAND (Hansard, 14 December 1971)

§ Mr. Pounder

I beg to ask leave to move the Adjournment of the House, under Standing Order No. 9, for the purpose of discussing a specific and important flatter that should have urgent consideration; namely, the provision of protection to persons in Northern Ireland who hold public office. The House will recall the dastardly attack on, and murder of, Senator Jack Barnhill on Sunday evening. The House 271 and the country were justifiably outraged by this evil deed. This morning, however, between 11 o'clock and noon, four separate attacks were made on the homes and persons of people prominent in public life in Belfast. Indeed, all of them are constituents of mine.

In one case, that of Senator Mrs. Edith Taggart—the only woman senator in the Northern Ireland Parliament and a former chairman of my constituency women's association—her husband was attacked by raiders. He was taken afterwards to hospital and up to the moment of speaking I do not know anything about his condition. I pray that it is not serious.

Another attack was at the home of the former deputy lord mayor of Belfast, Councillor William Christie, where a bomb was de-fused before it exploded.

The third case was at the home of an 81-year-old lady, Mrs. Nora Totten, who until a year ago was appeals organiser of the Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and whose house is jointly occupied by Mr. David Wilkinson, my current constituency chairman. The bomb went off and the hallway was destroyed, but nobody was injured.

The fourth case was at the home of my first divisional chairman and very personal friend, Mr. Terry Hill, whose wife, Joyce, beat off the raider, and no damage was done.

In the light of these facts of only four hours ago I submit that my request for a debate is unquestionably on a specific subject. The facts tell their own story about the urgency of the matter, and show that the subject is of public importance. This I should have thought was self-evident.

I hope the House will forgive me if I speak somewhat emotionally about the cases I have detailed, for all those whom I have named and who have suffered wanton attack in the last few hours are personal and close friends of mine. I am sickened and revolted by the assaults that they have suffered.