Cllr Máire Hendron said: “What the Lord Mayor did was wrong and deeply offensive but he did apologise last week, an apology that was accepted by the younh army cadet’s family and the Alliance Group accepted it.
“In light of the apology, I proposed an amended motion that accepted the Lord Mayor’s apology and reaffirmed the Council’s commitment to promote good relations and the Lord Mayor’s commitment to serve all people of Belfast.
“This episode shows the need for us to move forward and agree to a shared future. However it also shows that we need to deal with the legacy of the past and until we do so we will not be able to move forward.”
ENDS