Friday 22 October 2010

Sinn Féin ensure Assembly recall to debate Tory cuts

Sinn Féin Chief Whip Carál Ní Chuilín MLA has submitted the required number of names yesterday to ensure the recall of the Assembly on Monday the 25th of October.
The recall will be to debate the pressing concerns regarding the impact of the British Government Comprehensive Spending Review.

Speaking yesterday Ms Ní Chuilín said:

“Sinn Fein have been successful in having the Assembly recalled next week to debate yesterdays cuts by the Tory Government.

“The protection of our jobs, of those who are vulnerable, of our health and education systems, and indeed the long term prospects of the economy are much too important to leave to another day. The British Governments proposals affect us all and our constituents right now.

“We must present a united front from the Assembly and make a stand against these cuts and press for real economic levers to determine what happens with our own economy.

“It is not good enough that the British Tory coalition, who have absolutely no-one elected in the North, dictate what form our economy will take.”

Thursday 21 October 2010

Various cases indicate British prepared to use dissident groups – Sinn Féin

Sinn Féin’s Alex Maskey MLA has said that the case of Anton Craig indicates clearly what the party has been saying for some considerable time regarding British Securocrats use and abuse of so called dissident organisations.

Speaking today Mr Maskey said;

“Recent court cases and various other judicial proceedings seem to show a worrying trend of MI5 agents, or indeed those suspected of being MI5 agents, acting as instigators in many of the actions carried out by these micro-groups.

Studying these cases it appears clear to us that the warnings we have been flagging up about the degree of infiltration in these groups is proving hugely dangerous.

We are seeking to discuss these matters with those members of the legal profession who are also raising these same concerns, as well as raising it directly with the Irish and British Governments.”

Sinn Féin gain cross party support for home owners

Speaking at the conclusion of Mondays Assembly debate Sinn Féin DSD spokesperson and North Belfast MLA Carál Ní Chuilín welcomed cross party support for home owners in urban areas of regeneration who find themselves in negative equity when their homes are vested.

“In areas such as the New Lodge and Parkside and the Village regeneration schemes are much needed and very welcome,” said Ní Chuilín.
“However, home owners are being offered as little as half of what they paid for their properties during the vesting process.

“Thus families are left paying a huge mortgage and in a massive financial crisis. Today’s motion was about ensuring citizens rights are protected; both the motion and the subsequent amendment were carried during today’s debate and I welcome the support of the other parties.


“Our Assembly and Executive must work to ensure that people living in areas of redevelopment are not victimised as a result of the economic crisis; while we welcome and actively encourage the redevelopment and improvement of urban, often working class communities, homeowners must be protected against falling into negative equity.

“It is worth remembering that it is not these families who are responsible for creating the current economic problems. Homeowners would appear to be unduly disadvantaged as a result of vesting and the Executive through DSD need to look innovatively and sympathetically at these peoples current situation.”

Friday 15 October 2010

There is a better way


By Gerry Kelly
It came as no surprise to me that when Sinn Féin strongly resisted proposals of massive cuts to the North's budget by the British Treasury that the DUP instantly took the opposite position of acceptance of cuts with Sammy Wilson's often personal views on where the axe would fall.

As we engaged with the other parties robustly challenging their logic of meek compliance with the cuts agenda, Sinn Féin managed to drag the DUP onto our negotiating position culminating in Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness's joint negotiation in London where together they resisted the repackaged slash and burn approach of that thinly disguised old Tory agenda.

The Assembly does have it's role to play in leading our way out of this recession but it isn't through dismantling the public sector nor increasing unemployment and
slashing vital services for deprived communities.
We must invest our way towards the future whilst implementing logical savings through the modernising of our economy and reinvesting in front line services, jobs and business.

Sinn Féin can stand on our record of consistently battling against bureaucracy and waste. For example, the Review of Public Administration, which would have reduced the number of Councils from 26 to 11, alone would have saved upwards of £400million and the introduction of the Education and Skills Authority another £20million per year. However the DUP continue to block these savings for their own narrow political ends.

Vested interests in the gravy train of the North's myriad of quangos continue to resist change whilst offering no alternative other than attacks on the most vulnerable and service cuts, including removing home help workers tending to our older people.
All-Ireland integration of services combined with European investment can provide real tangible and constructive alternatives to the right wing agenda of dismantling the public sector.

Upwards of 90% of the North's businesses are SME's (small and medium enterprises) employing less than ten people. It is through investing in the growth of this sector that we can assist in lifting ourselves out of the financial crisis.
Sinn Féin was instrumental in the hugely significant step of the establishment of the European Task force for the North, which has been of great help at this time.
Maximizing access to finance for individuals facing uncertainty in the job market and at-risk groups, including those seeking self-employment, is vital to creating opportunity and encouraging enterprise.

It's essential that financial intermediary organisations and micro finance providers such as credit unions, local savings banks, smaller development banks/institutions and selected local commercial banks avail of opportunities such as the newly introduced €500million EU micro finance scheme.

They will then be able to provide loans or credits to individuals or micro-companies of up to a maximum 25,000€ per loan. Obviously, this has the potential to become a lifeline for small firms struggling in the recession and a vital start-up opportunity for others at a time when finance is increasingly difficult to secure.
Demonstrating fiscal competence doesn't mean complying with the current conservative reactionary agenda of cuts. Those that are most resistant to change remain the very same people that wallowed in the excesses of deregulation and who are now presenting the bill for the financial crisis to us. Sinn Féin's alternative vision is investing our way to a better future.

Maskey and Kelly congratulate Paddy Barnes on another Gold Medal


Sinn Féin Councillor Conor Maskey spoke of North Belfast’s pride in local Boxer Paddy Barnes after winning another Gold Medal, this time in Delhi’s Commonwealth Games.

Barnes defeated the raining Commonwealth champion by a score of 8-4 in an impressive final performance.

Speaking after the victory, Cllr Conor Maskey said;

“Paddy Barnes’ victory today adds to his historical status among amateur boxers in Belfast. This latest Gold medal is in addition to his European Gold and Olympic Bronze in recent times.

“Belfast City Council is quite rightly hosting an evening soon for Paddy, his family, friends, coaches and fellow boxers which will give civic recognition to his achievements in the sport.”

“His dedication and success in the sport continues to be an inspiration to younger sports people across the city and lifts their expectations of themselves and what they can achieve, given the proper application.

“North Belfast is duly proud of Paddy and will ensure a tremendous welcome when he returns from Delhi.”

Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly also added his congratulations to Paddy Barnes saying it was fantastic boost for North Belfast.

“I want to extend the warmest congratulations to Paddy from the people of North Belfast on his latest boxing success. Paddy is an example to us all of how hard work and determination can pay off in the sporting arena,” said Kelly.
“This comes as a fantastic boost to the community of North Belfast and I’m delighted for Paddy and his family. We are all behind Paddy in his promising boxing career and want to wish him every success for the future.”

Martin McGuinness speech at North Belfast Respect Programme event in Landsowne

"Good morning ladies and gentlemen. Let me begin by saying how pleased I am to be here today to address this conference.

Unfortunately, my colleague the First Minister could not be here due to other commitments, but I know that I speak on behalf of him when I say just how much importance we place on the future development of North Belfast.

I would like to compliment the Ashton Community Trust in particular for the work that has been put into making this conference a reality. An event of this scale does not just happen – it requires an enormous amount of time, effort and commitment and for that I commend the Trust.

It’s good to be here under the shadow of the historic Cave Hill. The North Belfast landmark that can be seen from across Belfast. It is an integral part of the Belfast Hills just as North Belfast is an integral part of the city as a whole.

I say historic Cave Hill as it was the site where, Theobald Wolfe Tone, sought to unite Protestant, Catholic and Dissenter under the common banner of Irish men and women. While I still hold dear to that objective I acknowledge that some in this room do not share that view.

However I believe that it is right and fitting to talk about uniting the community here under the common banner of North Belfast.

Wolfe Tone recognised the inequality that beset society at the time. He saw the rich get richer, as the poor struggled to make a living. He saw the inequality between the landlord and the landless. He believed that the destiny of the people should be in the people’s hands.

While much has changed since the times of Wolf Tone. There continues to be the needs to redress inequality and to have people play an active part in society and in shaping their future. While Wolfe Tone believed this applied on a national level it is also the case people need to play a part in shaping their future at a level as well.

Our society is in a state of flux. It has changed radically over the last 20 years as we continue the journey from conflict to peace. The pace of that change has accelerated over the past number of years with the re-establishment of the institutions.

At the beginning of this Assembly term, I said, that we were in for a rocky road. It should be remembered that until we became partners in government I had never spoke with Ian Paisley or Peter Robinson. So we had to build a relationship from scratch while dealing with contentious political issues. I know that community activists across North Belfast have engaged in a similar process at a local level. This work takes time. But here we are three and half year on and the Executive and Assembly in still meeting and functioning.

Huge progress has been made on the political front. Also during the same period the north had the highest levels of growth anywhere on Ireland or Britain. New investment came in and unemployment fell.

However these statistics mask the reality that not all areas benefited equally. Patterns of persistent deprivation continued. Sections of the community were left distant for the prosperity that benefitted others.

Areas in North and West Belfast, Inner East and the lower Ormeau, the village and Donegal Road neighbourhoods became spectators to progress. This is unacceptable and unsustainable.

In the current economic situation the Executive is united in our determination to grow the economy out of recession and into prosperity, and to tackle patterns of deprivation and deliver change in the community.

Before the institutions were established all the parties negotiated collectively and secured a package of investment. This package was to run up until 2017. It was secured over an extended period to give our Executive financial stability. The package was agreed with the then government and with the support of parties in Westminster.

There are some mostly, in the Tory led government who believe that they can cut their way out of recession. Peter Robinson and I are committed to ensuring that this same government lives up to its commitments.

These commitments must not be broken because they are required to grow the economy out of recession. They are required to tackle the multiple deprivation experienced by sections of the community such as those in north Belfast. We will not and cannot sell this or any other section of the community short.

We recognise that not everyone has equally benefited from peace and prosperity. We need to tackle the patterns of disadvantage. We need a new approach. We need to target resources to those areas in most need. We need to do more. We need investment which is additional to existing programmes such as neighbourhood renewal.

OFMDFM has responsibility for promoting good relationships and tackling poverty both across and within North Belfast and we are committed to doing so with the aim of making it a safe, secure and prosperous place to live and work for everyone.

For too long these policy areas have been seen to be distinct and separate. The CSI document currently under consultation makes clear that inequality, poverty and social exclusion sustains division and conflict.

If we are to promote good relations it has to be in the context of redressing the historic patterns of deprivation which have beset North Belfast.

Both the First Minister and I use the term community deliberately. We use the term community as we share more in common than what separates us.

The impact of unemployment is felt the same in families across north Belfast regardless of where they live. The lack of opportunity for our youth affects all our young people and the fear of anti social and criminal behaviour impacts on all.

I believe that the way to create real long lasting and sustainable change is by acting together to redress deprivation. We are stronger when every section of our community act together for the betterment of all.

I would reject the suggestion that one section of the society or one neighbourhood can be regenerated at the exclusion of another. Inequality will only sustain the potential for conflict. We target disadvantage were it arises on the basis of objective need.

OFMdFM are currently drafting up a programme to tackle poverty and disadvantage. This is not a secret fund. It is not a fund for former paramilitaries as some have sought to portray it. It is not a programme to replace existing measure. If agreed it will be additional to what departments are currently doing.

Any new approach must build on the work that has gone before. We are looking at supporting initiatives that get people into employment by removing barriers, by developing skills, by creating self employment and business start-up.

However it needs to be more that an employment project it must also address the physical environment, tackle dereliction and promote development.

A community is more than just jobs and buildings. We must also support to be sustainable and safe.

I would liken the approach to tackling disadvantage as a three legged stool. We need to get people into employment. We need to physically enhance areas and we need to build sustainability. We need to build areas were people want to live.

If we are to achieve these objectives we need to identify additional resources and we need to work with those most deprived to develop and implement plans. This cannot not be another paper exercise. It will be a challenge to departments to work together and in partnership with the community to deliver agreed plans.

It will also be a challenge for the community. If we are to tackle the scale of the intervention required to economically regenerate North Belfast it will require more that disparate interventions in local areas. It will require long term projects and investment in programmes.

It will not be built on a series of separate one off projects in disparate areas. Disjointed and disconnected initiatives in Tigers Bay, the New Lodge, the Shankill and Ardoyne will not realise the potential of all of North Belfast and will not deliver for all the those in need. .

It we are to tackle unemployment and dereliction and build sustainable and safe neighbourhoods we must be about working and delivering together.

We need to find answers to the questions.
• How can we build the economic base of the north of the city for the benefit of all.
• How can we skill up people here to create or compete for the jobs.
• How do we remove barriers to employment.
• How do we build the links between the wider economy and North Belfast.
• How do we make the best use of sites such as Girdwood, Crumlin Road Gaol, the Court House and the Lough Shore.

We have made plain our intention to make good on the commitment to target the most disadvantaged areas. We would like to work with all to develop responses to tackling unemployment, dereliction and building safe and sustainable neighbourhoods.

The North Belfast Respect Programme will help generate some of the answers to the questions of how to tackle disadvantage.

I would encourage people to participate in as many events as possible, not only to show their support for the Respect Programme, but to also gain a greater understanding around many of the political, social, economic, historical and cultural issues which are important within the community here in North Belfast and ultimately to make this year’s Respect Programme another real success."

Friday 8 October 2010

Stop the witch-hunt against the poor - Ní Chuilín


Sinn Féin Social Development Spokesperson and North Belfast MLA Carál Ní Chuilín has hit out at the Tory Welfare Reform proposals which attack the most vulnerable.
“The ongoing witch-hunt against benefit recipients must be faced down. The British Coalition government along with sensationalist media reports are painting all those on benefits as spongers, dossers and fraudsters,” said Ní Chuilín.

“If they were to take an honest and realistic approach to this issue then the facts could clearly be exposed and the myth of benefit fraud would be ended.
“If we take for example people who receive child benefit on income support, income support is reduced by the amount of child benefit received. This is not an additional payment making it extremely difficult for low-income families.
“Disability Living Allowance is the benefit with the lowest fraud levels with less than 0.01% being fraudulent claims yet constant myths of fraud are circulated by the right-wing media.

“The issue of carers is even more scandalous. Carers save the British government £3bn per year by only receiving £53.90 for a 35 hour minimum week. This works out at £1.30 an hour, one quarter of the minimum wage. If carers earn one penny over £95 outside of these payments their benefit is stopped.
“Little focus however is placed on the fact that last year clerical error or mistakes in payments cost £32 million, a saving that we should really be striving for instead of punishing the vulnerable.
“Alex Attwood has made much of his contacts with the British secretary for work and pensions, Ian Duncan Smith, whose proposed reforms can only lead to further hardship for those most in need.

“Despite the concerns being spoken off by the SDLP DSD minister he is preparing to migrate 76,000 claimants from incapacity to jobs seekers at a time when there is no jobs with a prolonged recession and job opportunities that are almost none existent.
“We already have one of the poorest welfare systems in Europe, a mechanism that is a safety net for those in society who really need it. What we need to see now is a clear and concise argument from the minister, which includes concrete proposals of how he intends to protect the vulnerable and fight these cuts.

“Sadly the Torys are at their old agenda of dismantling the welfare system by using the language of efficiency and hiding behind the economic downturn. Deprived communities like North Belfast will be hardest hit under these proposals,” said the Sinn Féin MLA.

Thieves targeting Ardoyne homes


Criminals who are targeting Housing Executive homes in Ardoyne are denying families’ access to proper homes, said North Belfast Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly.
Criminal gangs have been targeting heating systems in homes that are undergoing change-of-tenancy repairs and selling it as scrap metal.

“The housing crisis remains at a critical level and the criminal gangs that are ripping out these home heating systems for scrap metal are contemptible,” said Kelly.
“Not only do these actions affect homes that people are waiting to move into but the cost of restoring the heating systems are a huge drain on public money.”
He said that the value of the scrap metal is a few hundred pounds but replacing a heating system can cost around £10,000.
“This of course means there is less money for new homes and much needed repairs.”

Ardoyne Sinn Féin councillor Gerard McCabe said he has been working with families in the area to get much-needed homes.
“Families are waiting to be allocated homes by the Housing Executive but they can’t be allocated because of the actions of these mindless criminals. They are denying these families access to proper homes.”

He urged the PSNI to take prompt action to bring these criminal gangs before the courts and appealed to scrap merchants to be mindful of people coming to them with this type of scrap metal.
“If they are suspicious of anything I urge them to contact the PSNI.”
Gerard also appealed to social housing providers to mark the heating systems so they can be identified.

Doctored fireworks lethal – Sinn Féin councillor


Sinn Féin Councillor Gerard McCabe said the young adults doctoring fireworks don’t seem to understand how dangerous the fireworks can be.
Doctored fireworks with nails attached and spilt open to enable them to fire across the ground have the capability to kill.

“These are not young children who are firing these fireworks – it is young adults who know exactly what they are doing but they don’t seem to understand the potential of the consequences,” said the Sinn Féin councillor.
“They have lifted it up a level by attaching items such as nails and appear to be determined to seriously injure or maim someone.
“I appeal to them to step back and think about what you are doing because there is the possibility that the person injured by these devices could be someone from their own family.”

Gerard spoke to one resident who had a firework thrown through his car window as he was driving.
“It went through the back window – very luckily no-one was in the back seat. Who knows what could have happened if there was.”
He also appealed to shop owners to be vigilant, for those selling fireworks illegally to stop and for the PSNI to clamp down on the trade of illegal fireworks
“I would appeal to those who are selling them legally to be very aware of selling them to youngsters.”

Road development good for regeneration


North Belfast Sinn Féin MLA Carál Ní Chuilín said a road block to regeneration has been removed after the Road Service agreed to allow a right-hand turn from a retail park onto a major local road.
The roads body this week announced it was creating a right-hand turn from Hillview Retail Park onto the Crumlin Road after originally saying it couldn’t be done due to safety concerns.
The site, which formerly contained Dunnes Stores, is the location of the proposed ASDA store, which was originally meant to open this month. However, that has been delayed until next year.

The Sinn Féin representative said the party had listened to the concerns of those aiming to develop the site and this move would allow an expansion of the park.
“We lobbied the Road Service and Planning Service for changes to access to this new retail park. The development would provide much needed employment for local people and vital shopping facilities for the surrounding community, and would regenerate the whole area,” said Ní Chuilín.

“The main obstacle that stood in the way of this imaginative proposal was how the Crumlin Road couldn’t be accessed by a right turn from this site. Along with the architects, we engaged with the statutory agencies to ensure safety could be maintained whilst providing the required access.
“I’m delighted with the news from the Road Service that changes can go ahead and that they will be working with the Planning Service to resolve this issue for the good of all the local community."

Friday 1 October 2010

The DUP should stop hiding behind the Orange Order - Kelly


“The Orange Order rejection of new parades legislation should not be allowed to veto the establishment and endorsement by the Assembly of a new framework to address the issue of parades,” said North Belfast MLA Gerry Kelly.

“The legislation is an important part of the outworking of the Hillsborough Castle Agreement. The Orange Order were not party to that Agreement and they cannot be afforded a veto over progress to resolve this issue.

“The fact that there is a parading issue at all is entirely down to past failures by the Orange Order to reach accommodation on a small number of contentious parades.

“They continue to have difficulty with recognition of the community's right to live free from sectarian harassment. And they continue to have a difficulty with the concepts of dialogue and mediation and code of conduct.

“They have a responsibility to play a full part in resolving this important issue. Instead of allowing them a veto on new legislation they should be confronted with their responsibilities with respect to parades in general and contentious parades in particular.

“The DUP should stop hiding behind the Orange Order and support the introduction of the Parades Bill into the Assembly. The parties that made the agreement at Hillsborough can ensure the Parades Bill passes through the Assembly and becomes legislation,” said Kelly.

Ní Chuilín joins European day of action

Sinn Féin MLA Carál Chuilín said the cuts being proposed by the British government will have a hugely detrimental impact on workers, the disadvantaged and those in poverty particularly in North Belfast.

The Republican activist was speaking as she took part in a rally in Belfast opposed to the cuts.
“The poorest will be hit ten times harder than the wealthy. It will be the public services they rely on, in health and education and social services and transport, that will be hit hardest,” said Ní Chuilín.

“Lone parents, the elderly and the sick will suffer the most. In addition, the patterns of poverty remain the same as ever. For as long as records exist, concentrations of inequality and deprivation have been ingrained in areas like North Belfast. This is systemic and structured discrimination.
“So, political leaders and parties in the north have to stand up for peoples rights and in opposition to cuts. Sinn Féin is focused and determined to do this.

“When Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness met the British Chancellor, Martin McGuinness told him of our opposition to cuts and of the need to protect frontline services for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged communities.
“Sinn Féin believes that there is an alternative to the slash and burn strategy of the British government.

Sinn Féin is committed to:
· Building efficient and effective public services.

· Rebalancing the economy by growing the private sector, particularly small and medium sized businesses. In line with many governments in Europe and in the USA we need a strategic approach which invests to save jobs, tackles waste and inefficiencies and promotes investment in infrastructure.

· There is a need to redress the inequalities which undermine the political progress that we have made to date. Sinn Féin is committed to the full implementation of the Section 75 Equality measures and in particular how this is applied in regard to public expenditure.

· The Executive requires the necessary fiscal tools to tackle the economic crisis. These must include tax varying and borrowing powers.

· Significant savings can be made and more efficient use made of existing resources if we end the economically harmful duplication of services as a result of partition. On an island this small it does not make sense to have two competing economic systems. So, Sinn Féin will seeking to work in alliance with the trade unions and community and voluntary sector to campaign against cuts and to defend community and public services, especially in the most deprived areas.

“So I'm here today showing the leadership that our community expects and deserves and I’m standing shoulder-to-shoulder with workers across the European Union in their opposition to this reactionary agenda of cuts. The poor will not foot the bill for the greedy or the rich.”

27,647 children benefit from primary school uniform grant introduced by Minister Ruane

Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly has welcomed a response from the education minister to a written Assembly question, which shows that 27,647 children benefited from the primary school uniform grant first introduced by Caitríona Ruane in 2009. The total grants paid out amounted to £988.336.

The North Belfast Executive Minister said:
“While I welcome the availability of this grant the rise in the numbers applying this year is an indication of the severe economic climate in which many families now reside. An extra 2,500 children were awarded the grant this year than in 2009.

“The grant of £35 per child will have helped in some way in aiding families during a very expensive time of the year with children returning to or starting school as will the widening of the Free School Meals scheme by the Sinn Fein Education Minister.

“This will also go some way in easing the financial pressures faced by many of the most vulnerable families in our community”

Sinn Fein slams DUP stalling on sexual orientation strategy

Sinn Féin MLA Carál Ni Chuilín MLA has slammed the DUP for the continued delay in implementing OFMdFM’s Sexual Orientation Strategy.
Speaking after the DUP junior Minister Robin Newton was tackled on the matter during Question Time in the Assembly she said:
“The LGBT community in the north are justifiably concerned at the apparent unwillingness of the DUP to implement this much needed strategy.

“OFMdFM are committed to bringing this strategy forward and equality delayed is equality denied; the line articulated by Robin Newton, that this may not happen until 2012 is totally unacceptable to Sinn Féin and would appear to have much more to do with the DUP heading into election mode as opposed to helping address the serious issues facing those gay, lesbian and transgendered members of our community.
This strategy needs to come forward without any further delay.

“Robin Newton now needs to clarify if he was speaking in his capacity as a DUP member or was he giving an agreed position from OFMdFM because from Sinn Féin’s perspective any delay in implementing this much needed strategy is completely unacceptable.”