North Belfast behind fight to save Mater A&E - Ní Chuilín

Sinn Féin MLA Carál Ní Chuilín said the decision to close the Mater A&E on Sunday was most alarming.
Ambulances with emergency patients were diverted away from the Mater Hospital and staff fear it is part of a wider plan to downgrade the accident and emergency unit.

“This hospital is vital for both the health of the community and the large number of local people employed there,” said the North Belfast MLA.
"This decision to close the Mater A&E was made at a very senior level and is most alarming. It's my understanding that staff have provided a first class service in the past with double this amount of trolley waits and there was no operational rationale for this move," she said.

"Since becoming the Health Minister Michael McGimpsey seems to have favoured the City Hospital A&E which is in his local constituency. We will fight tooth and nail not just to save Mater Hospital facilities but to extend and further develop them.

"The Mater is our biggest employer and vital to the health of surrounding deprived communities. My heart goes out to the professional and dedicated Mater staff who must feel demoralized at present. The whole North Belfast community is behind you in the fight ahead."

Spanish government arrests not conducive to search for peace

Sinn Féin MLA Alex Maskey has stated that the latest arrests by the Spanish government are not conducive to the development of a peace process in the Basque Country. Commenting on recent arrests he said:

"Last week ETA stated that its ceasefire was 'permanent' and that it would be 'verifiable by the international community'. This was a courageous step in the search for a 'just and democratic solution to the centuries old conflict'.

"Sinn Féin has urged the Spanish Government to grasp this opportunity for peace. However the Spanish state appears determined to continue to pursue a so called security agenda. The arrests last night of 11 members of Basque civic groups, Askatasuna and Ekin, is not conducive to the search for a political solution.

“This is not the way to advance a peace process. The Spanish government must play its part and build confidence in the process".

Kelly praises community help for playgroup

Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly has praised the local community after offers of help for an Ardoyne playgroup following damage done due to burst pipes to the premises.

Part of the ceiling at Holy Cross Playgroup on Flax Street collapsed after an overhead water tank burst and thousands of pounds worth of damage was caused to equipment and toys. However the neighbouring Ardoyne Kickhams GAC and Ardoyne Youth Club offered the playgroup use of their premises.

“The community has really pulled together very quickly to help out. That has been typical of the people of Ardoyne over recent weeks. With all the complaints about the snow, the grit and the water the people of Ardoyne took action. They didn’t hang about waiting for people to make promises,” said Kelly who visited the site along with local councilor Gerard McCabe to offer their assistance.

Councillor slams attack on Fire Service

The weekend attack comes after a spate of attacks on Fire Service staff in the area. On St Stephen's day a Fire Service Officer attending a special service call in the area had his car maliciously damaged.

New Lodge Sinn Féin councillor Conor Maskey has urged the local community to unite behind the Fire and Rescue Service after crews attending the scene of the New Lodge tower block fire at the weekend were attacked with missiles thrown down from other flats.

As Fire Service staff battled to rescue six people trapped on the 16th floor of Gráinne House in the early hours of Sunday morning, they were pelted with bottles and glasses from above.

"There have been a series of these outrageous attacks across the constituency in recent times and we again stand shoulder with, and support, the men and women of the Fire and Rescue Service," said Conor.

“The idiotic actions of a few people at the weekend put many lives at risk – the lives of their own neighbours. The work that these people do to keep us safe in our homes from fires, dealing with the most appalling carnage on our roads should earn them the highest admiration,” said the Republican representative.

Gerry Kelly: Finucane Family deserve truth and justice

Sinn Féin north Belfast MLA and Junior Minister Gerry Kelly has called on British Secretary of State Owen Patterson to fulfil British Government commitments and implement an inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane.

“A commitment was made to establish an inquiry into Pat’s murder in 2004 – it is totally unacceptable that the British Government is continuing to stall on this issue," said Kelly.

"Pat’s family deserve truth and they deserve justice; the prolonged delay by British Secretary of State is completely unacceptable and only delays the process of truth and justice.”

McDevitt support for unionist veto disgraceful

Sinn Féin Assembly member Alex Maskey has said that SDLP representative Conal McDevitt needs ‘to get real if he thinks that nationalists in the north are about to stand by and watch him try and barter away hard fought gains in successive negotiations for his own narrow political ambitions’. He accused the SDLP representative of disgracefully aligning himself with unionist attempts to undermine the checks and balances at the Assembly.

Mr Maskey’s comments came after Mr McDevitt called for changes in the Stormont rules to allow the Assembly to remove a Minister from the Executive, thereby handing unionists a veto over nationalist Ministers.


“Conal McDevitt may not understand nor care about the past unionist abuse of power in the 6 Counties. In pursuit of his own political ambitions he seeks to build a UUP/SDLP alliance. His agenda is causing unease amongst many within the SDLP base, he is actively attempting to undermine the checks and balances contained within the Good Friday Agreement political institutions," said Maskey.

“His recent call for a new provision within the Assembly to allow the removal of an Executive Minister on the basis of a simple majority vote is ill thought-out. It is also a longstanding unionist demand. For an SDLP representative to propose what would in effect be a unionist veto over the operation of the political institutions is staggering. Were it to be adopted his proposal would spell the end of power-sharing government.

“The only way that the political institutions can operate effectively and in the interests of all is on the basis of equality. Sinn Féin will not allow any attempts to undermine the power-sharing safeguards and guarantees built into the arrangements upon which the Institutions are required to operate. That is the only way to ensure that the unionist abuses of the past never happen again and that the institutions serve all sections of society.

“Conal McDevitt needs to get real if he thinks that nationalists in the north are about to stand by and watch him try and barter away hard fought gains in successive negotiations for his own narrow political ambitions.”

‘Idiots’ attack fire engine in Ligoniel

Local Sinn Féin councillor Gerard McCabe has called the young people ‘idiots’ who attacked a fire engine on a call out to Ligoniel on New Year's Eve.
The vehicle had to be taken off the road after it was attacked by a group of young people and McCabe described the assault as an attack on the entire community.

"The work that these people do which involves putting their lives at risk to keep us safe in our homes from fires and, in recent weeks supplying water to areas in need throughout Belfast and beyond, should earn them the highest admiration," said the Republican activist.

"The idiots that have bricked and abused our Fire and Rescue Service need to be brought before the courts and I am appealing to anyone with information about such attacks to contact the PSNI
"The people of Ligoniel are sending out a clear message to anyone who is involved in such attacks that when you attack our emergency services you attack this community."