Marty Walsh: “I rise tonight to take a special order at a very critical time in the peace process in Northern Ireland. The news today…”

“I rise tonight to take a special order at a very critical time in the peace process in Northern Ireland. The news today is that the British Government has reimposed its sovereignty over Northern Ireland. After about a 2-year process of working and compromise and difficult negotiation, an agreement was reached and the Northern Ireland government took control of its own destiny in December of this past year. Now, because of a crisis that has been precipitated over the issue of disarmament, the British Government has reimposed its will and has re-extended its authority over Northern Ireland. There is a question... over the constitutionality and the legality of that action, but nonetheless it is fait accompli and home rule has been taken back away and Britain is now again in control of Northern Ireland governmentally. That is a tragedy. After all these days and months and weeks of hard work and prayer and negotiation, we are back almost to where we started from.”