Sinn Féin meet Parades Commission over British army parade and Sinn Féin protest

North Belfast Sinn Féin councillor Tierna Cunningham was part of a Sinn Féin delegation which met with the Parades Commission to discuss the proposed Belfast City centre British army parade on November 2nd and the application for a Sinn Féin protest march and rally focusing on the legacy of the British army here in Ireland.
“Sinn Féin plans to hold a peaceful and dignified protest in Belfast city centre during the so called 'homecoming' parade for members of the British armed forces including the notorious UDR/RIR,” said Tierna after the meeting.
“We made the commission aware of the fact that the protest rally will highlight the legacy of the RIR and their predecessors the UDR here in Ireland as well as opposition to the wars inAfghanistan and Iraq where thousands of civilians have been killed.
“Our right to protest should be respected and we welcomed the chance of being able to put our case forward.”

£1280.00 raised for Macmillan Cancer Support at Sinn Féin Coffee Morning

North Belfast Sinn Féin and friends have been fantastic over the years supporting Macmillan Cancer Support and this year has proven to be a huge success again. £1280.00 was raised at the Lansdowne Court Hotel where Sinn Féin held their Coffer Morning on Friday 19 September.
Macmillan Cancer Support improves the lives of people affected by cancer. They provide practical, medical, emotional and financial support and push for better cancer care.
Cancer affects us all. Macmillan Cancer Support thanked Sinn Féin MLAs Gerry Kelly and Carál Ní Chuilín for organising this event and all the people who attended and supported it.
All money raised in the area will stay and be spent in the area to help local people living with cancer.

Councillor is organising meeting for residents re Ardoyne shops revamp

Ardoyne Sinn Féin councillor Margaret McClenaghan is organising a meeting between local residents and the developer to discuss proposals to revamp the Ardoyne shops.
Planners are currently considering the developer's proposals for the area, which would see the current buildings demolished to make way for the new development.
"People in the area seem to be happy the shops are going to be regenerated as it will make the area look tidier and fresher," said Margaret.
"I am organising a meeting between residents and the developer so we can get some dialogue going and people can see for themselves what is happening and if they have any problems we can get it sorted."

No return to Unionist Majority Rule - Kelly

By Gerry Kelly
The current crisis in the political process exists because the DUP has failed to honour commitments it made in the St Andrews Agreement in October 2006.
Specifically, the DUP has refused to agree a timeframe for the transfer of powers on policing and justice from London to the Assembly and Executive in the north.
Its opposition to transfer does not stand up to serious scrutiny.
Among other issues the DUP has also refused, in a gratuitously insulting and offensive way, to introduce an Acht na Gaeilge and it is opposing efforts to modernise and reform the educational system.
At this point it appears that the most reactionary elements in the party are dictating the pace of its engagements with the rest of us.
This is the real reason for the current crisis. It lies in the DUP's refusal thus far to work the Executive as a partnership and power sharing government.
Some DUP representatives want to run the institutions in the same way unionism used to run the north - in their interests solely, even though the leadership knows this is not sustainable.
It knows this is not acceptable and that Sinn Féin will not allow any return to unionist majority rule.
In addition, there are clearly elements of the DUP who remain bigots; who really don't want to have a Catholic about the place.
They are opposed to power sharing in any form.
The fact that the DUP is in a power sharing arrangement with Sinn Féin means that these bigots are in a place they never expected to be: a partnership government in which the DUP leader Peter Robinson is in a shared joint Ministry with Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness, and in which neither can take any decision of worth without the approval of the other.
It is obvious that in the longer term the DUP refusal to fulfil its obligations under the Good Friday Agreement and St Andrew's Agreement is untenable.
The DUP's assertion that it is not bound by any of these agreements - and particularly its ridiculous claim that it does not assent to the St Andrews Agreement, given how it claimed that Agreement as a great achievement for its leadership - is a serious challenge to the two governments and the rest of us.
So there is a lot of work yet to be done.
That is obvious.
It is also obvious that the DUP leadership knows the truth of all this.
Sinn Féin is giving it time to adjust to the new dispensation - we are entirely satisfied that the vast majority of republicans are on board for our approach - but we are not satisfied that appropriate efforts are being made to get unionism where it should be - on the side of inclusivity and power sharing.
Is Sinn Fein prepared to work through these difficulties? Yes.
But we need to have a sense that those we work with are open to a future based on the right of citizens to equality and justice.
If the political will exists none of these matters are insurmountable. We have overcome greater and more difficult problems.
Sinn Féin is coming at all of this positively.
Our core political value is based on the right of human beings to be free citizens - liberated, empowered and equal.
Our strategies and tactics are designed to bring this about.
I believe that a resolution to the current difficulties can be found. I believe that an agreement forged between Sinn Féin and Peter Robinson would send out a powerful and hopeful message for the future.
But if we are to move forward it will take political courage and political leadership.
It will need real and meaningful partnership government and power sharing.
Forty years ago Civil Rights activists, radical students and republicans marched in towns and rural areas across the northern state, demanding change and demanding civil rights.
That march for civil rights and national rights continues.
It isn't over and there is no turning back.
There can be no return to the bad old days.
We must also be the guarantors of that.

No Guarantee from Margaret Ritchie that Neighbourhood Renewal jobs will be saved

Sinn Féin MLA for North Belfast, Carál Ní Chuilín, has slammed Margaret Ritchie's failure to guarantee that Neighbourhood Renewal jobs, currently under review by her will be saved. This follows a Private Notice Question to the Minister for Social Development asking her to clarify her position.
Speaking this week Ms Ní Chuilín said:
"This week in the Assembly the Minister for Social Development, Margaret Ritchie, refused to say whether jobs and services from Neighbourhood Renewal Projects would be lost. Those in Neighbourhood Renewal jobs based in Belfast need clarity on where Margaret Ritchie's review will leave countless projects across the city.
"The simple fact is people in many community workers in these projects are now on protective notice because of the failure by Margaret Ritchie to move on this vital issue or give any indication of what groups will receive funding.
"These are projects that cover a wide range of themes and deliver much needed services to some of the most deprived wards in the North of Ireland. Issues such as suicide prevention, family centres, crèches, interface projects to name few are ones that will suffer.
"This is not new money. This traunch of funding was agreed in the budget. However none of this money has been released form the end of August. Margaret Ritchie is now, in effect, guilty of political interference in much needed jobs and services in areas of high social need."

Kelly congratulates Help the Aged for securing unclaimed benefits for older people

Sinn Féin Junior Minister Gerry Kelly MLA this week congratulated Help the Aged for securing almost £1,250,000 of unclaimed benefits for older people.
The organisation achieved this through its free and confidential helpline, Seniorline, which provides assistance and advice to older people, their families, friends and carers.
Speaking at the launch of Help the Aged's Seniorline Benchmark Report, Minister Gerry Kelly said:
"It is obvious from the Benchmark Report, that Seniorline is more than a helpline. In many cases it is probably a lifeline to our older people. Last year it secured almost £1,250,000 of unclaimed benefits for older people, an increase of 40 per cent on previous year.
"Such issues are crucial to the well being and quality of life of our older people. We would hope that the Advocate would play a vital part in helping to ensure that all relevant services for older people, including benefits, would be as straightforward as possible."

Private landlords must be regulated – Ní Chuilín

North Belfast MLA Carál Ní Chuilín this week called for legislation to regulate private landlords throughout the North
Sinn Féin tabled a motion in the Assembly calling on Margaret Ritchie to act on introducing legislation in order to regulate private landlords throughout the North of Ireland.
Speaking following the motion Carál Ní Chuilín said:
"There can be no excuses for continuing to delay this important and much needed legislation. People across the Six Counties, and in particularly in areas like North Belfast are calling out for effective measures to regulate private landlords; this legislation will only serve to benefit landlords and their tenants.
"While there are many responsible landlords who would surely welcome mandatory registration, there are also unscrupulous landlords who charge extortionate rents, provide substandard and even dangerous accommodation and who prey on the vulnerable.
"For too long this sector has been unregulated and both statutory and voluntary registration has failed, leaving it to market forces to regulate the sector which has only made matters worse.
"Sinn Féin will continue to lobbying on this issue both inside and outside of the Assembly and looks forward to Minister making clear her proposals on the registration on private landlords."

Sinn Féin Councillor Tierna Cunningham welcomed the decision to close Greencastle Barracks.

"Sinn Féin has called consistently for an end to the use of old agenda military bases by the PSNI, so I welcome the decision to close Greencastle Barracks,” said Tierna.
"We have had the issue of Greencastle Barracks on the agenda of every DPP meeting since our party took our seats.
"There were only four officers staffing this station whose main role was simply to report crime. This was a huge waste of resources and a strange use of personnel.
"There are too many of these stations in the area soaking up vital resources that can be freed up to provide a better service to the local community.
"We want to see more police officers tackling crime on the ground rather than taxpayers' money being wasted maintaining heavily fortified bases which serve no purpose."
And Councillor Cunningham called on local people to get involved in shaping the new North Belfast Policing Plan.
"We want to achieve a modern policing service with the highest standards of delivery.
"I would encourage people therefore to get involved in the public consultations so that it fully serves the needs of the people of the area."

Shock at UDA linked funding revelation

Sinn Féin Assembly member Carál Ní Chuilín this week said that people would be shocked at the revelation that DSD Minister Margaret Ritchie has continued to fund the UDA linked CTI project to the tune of almost £400,000 since she made her announcement ending this funding late last year.
“Last year in a great fanfare Minister Ritchie announced that she had withdrawn funding from the UDA linked CTI project,” said Carál.
“At the time Sinn Féin and all of the other Executive parties publicly supported her position but were fearful that the approach she adopted in not seeking Executive cover left her decision open to challenge.
“Unfortunately it now seems that this position has been borne out. Since her announcement last year almost £400,000 of taxpayers money has been pumped into this project away from the glare of the media.
“I am quite sure that the vast majority of ordinary people will be shocked at this revelation. The manner in which the Minister went about taking her decision, chasing headlines instead of following procedures is the direct cause of this turn of events.
“What Minister Ritchie has achieved since her announcement last November is the continuation of funding to the UDA linked project in direct contravention of the position articulated by every other Executive party who wanted to see the funding ended.”

Sinn Féin MLA addresses housing rally

North Belfast housing campaigners took to the streets on Sunday in a bid to rally groups to fight together for better housing with North Belfast Sinn Féin MLA, Carál Ní Chuilín one of the speakers.
Invited to the North Belfast Civil Rights Association-organised rally, Carál said it was a good turnout and a great atmosphere.
“We basically stood up and called for everyone, regardless of background, to come together and fight for equality,” said Carál.
“This is not some superior right, this is about the basic human right to housing and we need to work as one on this.
“The money is there, the land is there, so all we need is for the housing minister to do what she is in place to do and start providing housing.”
The rally took speakers and supporters from Carrickhill, across Millfield and over to Custom House Square via the City Hall were key rally calls were made.

Ní Chuilín hits out at scrapping of funding for Neighbourhood Renewal

Hitting out at Margaret Ritchie’s decision to suspend Neighbourhood Renewal funding as ‘a contradiction of everything she set out to do’, North Belfast Sinn Féin MLA Carál Ní Chuilín accused the minister of being purposely devisive.
“I can’t spell out enough how grim the future looks for North Belfast without this vital funding,” said Carál.
“Job losses and an axe in vital services will hit those most in need hardest and plunge them further into deprivation and marginalisation.
“It seems that Margaret Ritchie wants these projects to fail, what else can people take out of it?
“These projects, the life and soul of our most in need communities, will collapse without money and they’ll never be able to pick up the pieces.”
A DSD spokesperson said the minister’s primary concern was to spend Neighbourhood Renewal money in a way that would make a real difference on the ground.
“To that end she wants to reflect on how the DSD has been assessing applications that have been processed thus far,” she said.
“There may therefore be a short delay on approvals being issued as applications are assessed.”

Sinn Féin councillor welcomes Community Safety Wardens to the New Lodge

Sinn Féin councillor Conor Maskey has welcomed the scheme that will see Community safety wardens begin patrolling the New Lodge area this week in a bid to tackle antisocial behavior in the area.
"This is a very positive move and is certainly a new dynamic to compliment the good work that is already going on the New Lodge area.
“I hope that they will dovetail alongside the community work that is already taking place here,” said the republican representative.
The Belfast City Council pilot scheme will see the wardens perform foot patrols in the area for the next three months. Their duties include tackling antisocial behaviour such as street drinking and excessive noise, working with the community to improve their environment and stamping out litter, graffiti and fly tipping.
“I think the New Lodge will provide interesting scenarios for the wardens as well and in the long term will help them with their work.”
North Belfast interface worker and local republican Gerry O'Reilly said he hoped the wardens make an impact on antisocial behaviour in the area.
“Getting the community safety wardens into the New Lodge has been an ongoing campaign and I am very pleased they are finally starting work,” he said.
“They will be able to work alongside community groups in the area to make the New Lodge a better place to live for all the residents.”