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“A 3,000 strong survey by the Royal College of Nursing in Northern Ireland reports that almost half of nurses questioned said they had been been harassed or assaulted by patients or their relatives in the last year. That is a shocking statistic,” said Dr Coulter.

“This makes it more urgent than ever that my proposal for a new law along the lines of the Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act must be introduced to protect all health workers. The new Scottish Law provides penalties of up to nine months and £5,000 for anyone assaulting or hindering healthcare workers in a hospital setting or those doing emergency work in the community - GPs, midwifes or nurses, or anyone assisting an emergency worker,” explained Dr Coulter.

“If the Assembly is restored this year, I intend to introduce such a law through a Private Member’s Bill so that this excellent Scottish measure might be extended here. In the meantime, I will be raising the matter with our direct rule Health Minister, Shaun Woodward MP. I see no reason why the same level of protection should not be afforded to health and other emergency workers here as is the case in Scotland.”

“In the meantime, as an emergency measure, I believe all medical staff should be trained in a range of skills including risk assessment and exit strategies for aggressive situations, using verbal skills and non-aggressive body language to defuse angry confrontations and martial arts-based “physical intervention techniques”, or self-defence for more serious situations,” said the MLA.

Mr Nesbitt’s comments follow a report by the Women in Work commission who concluded that the Gender Pay Gap is worse in Britain than anywhere in Europe. The report said that those with child care responsibilities are often forced to take poorly paid, part-time employment below their skill level.

The South Down MLA said:

Mr Hussey said: “It is obvious that those involved in Saturday’s disgraceful scenes in Dublin were well organised and intent on inflicting maximum damage and injury to anyone with a different view to their’s. Given the numbers involved, there must also be either a serious under estimation of the strength of the so-called dissident republican movement or of the numbers of disaffected within the ranks of mainstream republicanism or both.

“Given the numbers of rioters, timing of their coordinated attack and availability of weaponry, including fire bombs, this was not a spontaneous reaction but an organised exposition of republican bigotry.

“Together with others, I give praise to the Garda who suffered directly in their efforts to protect life, limb and property. The Garda Federation call for an independent inquiry into the day’s events is fitting and should be respected.

“The organisers of the rally are also deserving of commendation for the way that they were not drawn into the situation and indeed showed great responsibility in abandoning the parade element of their protest rally.

“This is a second major step by Government in the right direction, following the announcement that the Stormont estate is to be heated using local renewable energy sources such as willow, supplied by local farmers.”

“I would encourage householders to avail themselves of the opportunity this offers. A properly installed solar heating system could provide as much as a quarter of their electricity needs. My Assembly colleague Rev Robert Coulter MLA was involved in the installation of just such a system at the Ecos Centre in Ballymena. People could see it in operation there.”

“As many of us gather today outside Leinster House, the seat of Parliamentary democracy in the Irish Republic, some have questioned why we have made the journey from Northern Ireland to protest. Some have suggested that we have no right to be here, or that we are simply here to cause trouble or incite trouble.

Others have concluded that we should simply be ignored as irrelevant – that we are a side-show, that we are not worth anyone’s notice, that people have moved on.

Some more sinister types have actively campaigned against our presence here today, fearing perhaps we might damage their own positions of influence either in this Parliament or in this State. They are mostly hardened republicans, but we are well used to dealing with these people and we will not be deterred.

As to the charge of causing or inciting trouble - Nothing could be further from the truth. We come in peaceful protest. We come as a peace loving people, who wish to remind those in this part of the island of Ireland of the murder, maiming and attempted ethnic cleansing which was carried out in their name for well over 35 years against innocent people of all religions in Northern Ireland.

We also come to try to ensure that those responsible for those foul deeds will not be rewarded by the population here in any mistaken belief that it can help bring lasting peace in Northern Ireland.

We have in our parade today given pride of place to the relatives of innocent victims of the bloody sectarian murder and acts of genocide practised against the Protestant population of Northern Ireland. We are also pleased to welcome the presence of relatives of members of the security forces from this State who suffered at the hands of the same evil republican terrorists. However, we also acknowledge that innocent lives were lost in this State and in this city as a result of terrorism. Let me be quite specific –no act of terrorism or no act of murder is ever justified.

Last weekend in this great and handsome city, built chiefly by our British forefathers, Sinn Fein/ IRA held their annual conference and tried to convince the electorate down here (and Unionists back home) of their peaceful intentions and democratic values. We simply say today that we believe that their assurances are hollow and their promises dishonest. The recent report of the International Monitoring Commission confirmed that their (SF/IRA) illegal organisation was still in tact, still armed and up to its neck in criminality – MAKING THEM UNFIT FOR GOVERNMENT.

The curious thing is that the Irish Prime Minister has publicly confirmed that he believes them to be unfit for Government in this jurisdiction, but he does seem intent in forcing the same crowd into power in Northern Ireland. Perhaps the electorate here might want to reflect on the double standards at play here. Sadly, those double standards are not new.

Many of us in this rally here today can cast our minds back to the late 1960’s and the part played by politicians and leading personalities in this state in the setting up and arming of the Provisional IRA which was to have such dreadful and fearful consequences for the people of Northern Ireland.

Encouraged by those politicians and given licence by the illegal claims then contained in Articles 2 and 3 of the Irish constitution the Provisional IRA wreaked havoc with their vicious murder campaign and bombings and shootings. We come today to remind the people of this state of these FACTS. Republicans would have us air brush these things away, but we who lived through those days will never allow them to do so.

With quiet dignity, the relatives here today, representing as they do literally thousands of innocent victims, and supported by the many who have come from all over Northern Ireland and from parts of this Republic, ask the people of this State to ensure that the people responsible for these crimes will not be rewarded or given credence. Their bloody past cannot be swept under the carpet.

That chiefly is our reason for being here, but the role of those in Government and high places in this state who acted as the political midwives of the IRA, deserves and demands closer examination.

I therefore call today for a FULL, INDEPENDENT, INTERNATIONAL INQUIRY into those events to expose at last to the world the part played by leading individuals in this State which ultimately led to the campaign of murder and mayhem carried out by the IRA.

Mr. Elliott commented: “The requirements of disabled drivers and the handicapped in general are often overlooked locally and I believe we all have a duty to support this latest initiative to help them.”

The launch of the Baywatch Northern Ireland campaign, which highlights parking problems encountered by disabled drivers, is a step in the right direction, said the MLA.

“I often receive complaints from local people who are angered that many abled bodied motorists don’t think twice about using a parking space reserved for the disabled. I have in fact recently facilitated a meeting with Roads Service in Dungannon regarding this matter.

“I have to say that many of these complaints come from other able bodied drivers who are angered and ashamed at the actions of those who blatantly show disregard for the disabled in our society.

“Blue Badge holders are entitled to dedicated parking bays and those able bodied motorists who use these spaces should be ashamed of themselves. It is selfish and unfair of them to do so.

“Bad parking behaviour can compromise access for disabled people and the abuse of dedicated parking bays provided for Blue Badge holders should not be tolerated.

“After all, these special facilities provide many disabled people with the opportunity to park close to health centres, shops and other essential services.

“We have all seen instances locally where parking spaces reserved for the disabled are being used by able bodied motorists. I would appeal to the public at large to help prevent this practice from continuing.”

Mr. Elliott added: “This campaign is just one step in the right direction. In the interests of fairness and equality, we must work to change public attitudes.”

“Services for children and young people are totally inadequate and this report only compounds what has already been said. There are no specialist doctors, nursing staff or psychologists, and no facility to admit anyone under 18 for treatment. The DHSSPS also stated recently that it is “essential” for services to be developed for under-17s – and with alcohol and substance misuse increasing among young people, we need these services sooner rather later.

“We also need to tackle the source of drugs and alcohol misuse - prevention strategies are key. The Government must give its full support to voluntary sector bodies that develop programmes in schools. These programmes empower children and help them make healthy choices.

“The report shows that school absenteeism, conflict with parents, criminal activity, sexual risk taking, violent behaviour and debt are associated with alcohol and drug misuse. If these issues are talked about in schools it would help young people understand that substance and alcohol misuse will not solve their problems”.

Rev Coulter continued:

Sir Reg made his call as it emerged that official strike action by Royal Mail workers could be on the cards.

In a statement Sir Reg said,

In a statement, the Fermanagh & South Tyrone MLA said: “In my experience, the EHS is more interested in enforcement and punishment of farmers than engagement and partnership. However they are not pursuing illegal dumping with the same vigour.

“The EHS staff roll has doubled over the past six years – and while the EHS expands, red tape expands. This puts unnecessary pressure on farmers and negatively affects business. In my view, confidence in the EHS among farmers is now at an all-time low, in fact almost non-existent.

“There are currently 71 different applications on the EHS website for various issues that the vast majority of people have never heard of, or understand. I question if many within EHS even understand them.

“Farming has come under enormous strain of recent years. In a 25-year period farm business units dropped from 47,000 to 30,000 - a decrease of some 36%. The numbers recorded as working on farms dropped from 72,000 to 58,000 - a decrease of 20%. That equates to an estimated full-time equivalent workforce of 35,400 in 2000.

“While there are many reasons behind this decline, the bottom line is clear – the rural economy must be afforded every assistance so as to ensure its survival. So why does the EHS continually hinder rather than help the farmer?

“In general farmers do recognise and respect their responsibilities in relation to areas of natural and historic interest. But while the EHS concentrates on over-regulating responsible farmers, they seem to be turning a blind eye to large-scale illegal dumping of waste, particularly in the border areas.

“I accept that these are complex issues and that safeguards must be in place. But a firm approach must not constrain decent farmers from managing their farms properly.