DAVID ERVINE MLA

That this House notes with sadness the untimely death of David Ervine MLA; offers sincere condolences to his wife, Jeanette, and sons Mark and Owen; values his pivotal role in the peace process and positive contribution to the Good Friday Agreement; respects the change he made from his paramilitary past; esteems the worth, warmth and wit of his articulate and often dogged contribution to democratic debate; recognises how widely-expressed and deeply-felt the tributes to his distinct impact on Northern Ireland politics have been; and hopes that these reflect not only the high regard which he earned but also some evidence of a transformed political outlook for Northern Ireland which he helped to foster.