Great that Northern Assembly voted for gay marriage – Norris

Senators have expressed disappointment at the Democratic Unionist Party's decision to block gay marriage but welcomed the vote by the Northern Ireland Assembly in favour of equality.

Labour Seanad leader Ivana Bacik said she hoped to see progress on marriage equality in the North but it was disappointing "that the DUP has used its powers to block the development that took place in the Northern Ireland Assembly where, for the first time, a majority of MLAs, 53-52, voted in favour of a change in the law".

Independent David Norris said he was saddened the DUP had "used an undemocratic mechanism to sabotage the vote in the Assembly".

But, he said: “I prefer to see the glass as half full rather than half empty. For the first time, the Northern Assembly has, by democratic vote, stood in favour of equal marriage. That is a great thing. It seems there has been some softening of views on this issue.”

Decriminalisation

Mr Norris said he had seen an interview with the DUP’s

Ian Paisley

jnr in which he spoke positively about decriminalisation “but it is a little ironic that this was stopped by a combination of the Roman Catholic hierarchy and the DUP – strange bedfellows indeed”.