Appeal to return fire equipment

Sinn Féin councillor and New Lodge community worker has called on young people to return equipment stolen from a fire service vehicle over the Easter holiday period.
"The Fire Service were on a call-out to a fire at Oisín House when the equipment was stolen," said Tierna Cunningham of the Tar Isteach youth project.
"I have been contacted by the Fire Service to see could I find out anything about the whereabouts of the equipment, a key which turns on and off fire hydrants in the area.
"The Fire Service are concerned that a young person could be hurt if they open the water mains with this tool and that they could cause flooding or reduce water pressure in the area which could place other homes at risk in the event of a fire."
Two young people from Tar Isteach Youth, Fionnuala and Donal Staunton, recently completed training with the Fire Service in the Westland Station. They backed Tierna Cunningham's appeal for the key to be returned.
"The Fire Service provide an invaluable and essential service to all. It's very disappointing that someone in this community stole the key while fire fighters were tackling a fire in the area," said Fionnuala Staunton
"The misuse of this key could put people's lives at risk and I back Tierna's call for it to be returned immediately."
George Ramsey a Watch Commander with the Fire and Rescue Service emphasised that this equipment is vital to enable fire crews to access water supplies during fire fighting operations.
He also expressed concern that improper use of this equipment could result in serious injury or damage to property due to localised flooding and that water supplies required for fire fighting could be adversely affected.
Watch Commander Ramsey appealed for the urgent return of the equipment and expressed his thanks to Tar Isteach Youth for their efforts and support.
For more information contact Tierna Cunningham on 079 6693 0522 or George Ramsey at Westland Fire Station.

Sinn Féin Councillors slam decision on zoo light switch off

North Belfast Sinn Fein Councillors Conor Maskey and Tierna Cunningham have criticised the recent decision by the Council's Park's Committee not to allow a Laser Light display as part of Belfast Zoo's 75th Anniversary Celebrations.
Branding the decision as an exercise in 'Doom and Gloom Politics' the councillors are appealing for the decision to be overturned at May's full council meeting.
"For two months in a row now we have debated at the Park's and Leisure Committee the merits of proposals put forward by Zoo staff as to how they can maximise interest through its 75th Anniversary this year,” said Councillor Conor Maskey.
"There has been agreement by parties on all but one propsal. Zoo staff wanted to put a moving Lazer Light display on Cavehill for three weeks in the Autumn which they estimate would be witnessed by approximately half a million people.
"The cost of this is estimated at £8,500 and compared with most other council initiatives is relatively a very small amount of money.
"The DUP, supported by SDLP councillor Niall Kelly, who happens to also work for North Belfast Councillor Alban Maginness MLA, have consistently retreated to doom and gloom politics by insisting that this would be a waste of money in the current economic climate.
"Sinn Féin, like everybody else, are not blind to the current economic problems, however we believe we should support the efforts of staff at the Zoo to attract more interest in its work and of course more visitors.”
Commenting on the impact the decision would have on Zoo staff Councillor Tierna Cunningham said:
"We were the only party to meet Zoo staff to seek their opinions in this matter and they are very passionate about the Lazer Light idea. The councillors who voted against this idea have completely de-valued the good work of Zoo staff.
"We believe that Councillors should be getting down from whatever pedestal they believe they are on and properly engage with council staff on issues such as these."

Sinn Féin Councillor slams bomb scare at Holy Cross Chapel

Sinn Féin Councillor Margaret McClenaghan has hit out at those behind a bomb scare at Holy Cross Chapel last Sunday 5 April.
She has also called on local people to do all in their power to ensure that children are not put at risk on the Ardoyne Twaddell interface.
“There was a major search of the grounds of Holy Cross Chapel on Sunday,” said Margaret McClenaghan, “ following a hoax bomb warning to the Samaritans.
“Local people, priests and the police helped in the search.
“Thankfully nothing was found and church services were not disrupted.
“However, the actions of those behind the bomb warning is despicable and cowardly.
“It added to tensions along the Twaddell Ardoyne interface which has seen gangs of youths gathering on an almost nightly basis over the last week or so.”
Margaret McClenaghan also appealed to local people to keep children away from the interface until tensions subside.
“I would appeal to local people to do all in their power to encourage their children to stay clear of the interface at night,” she said
“Over the last week children some as young as eight years of age have been gathering on the road and only the efforts of local priests, police, interface, community and youth workers and my party colleagues have prevented trouble escalating in the area.
“During one incident on Sunday night a petrol bomb was thrown and the concern of those working to keep the area calm is that a young child will be seriously injured or killed.
“Many local parents have responded to calls from us to come to the road and collect children who are at risk of being hurt.
“I would appeal for more parents to encourage their children to stay away from the road at this time and help us in our efforts to bring tensions down.”

Register to vote - it's your right

Sinn Féin Councillor and Belfast Mayor Tom Hartleylaunch a leaflet on Tuesday encouraging people to register to vote.
Along with North Belfast Sinn Féin Constituency manager Shauneen Baker and Andersontown party representative Pól Deeds, the Mayor said the leaflet launch was to encourage people to get on the electoral register so that they could exercise a basic human right – the right to vote.
“This leaflet has important information on how people can apply to get on to the register, how to get photographic ID, and how to apply to vote from home if a person is physically unable to make it to the polling station.”
Councillor Hartley said over the past few months Sinn Féin have submitted over a thousand registration forms to the Electoral Office on behalf of people in West Belfast.
However, many of these people were refused their rightful place on the electoral register, something which the Mayor branded “a disgrace”.
Recently, Sinn Féin and the SDLP accompanied the Falls Community Council to the Electoral Office Headquarters in a bid to get those who have been refused their rights on to the electoral register.
“200,000 people are not on the electoral register but are entitled to be. That is a huge indictment of the Electoral Office that must be rectified. The issue is not one of unionist versus nationalist or republican, it is about the right to vote for us all.
“When a person gets this leaflet, they should take the time to read it, to ensure they are on the electoral register and that they have the correct ID to enable them to vote.”

Honour Ireland’s patriot dead - wear an Easter lily

Easter Sunday is the most important date in the republican calendar, when Ireland’s patriot dead are honoured and remembered with respect and pride throughout Ireland.
At the launch, Liam Shannon, Chairman of the National Graves Association (NGA), emphasised the importance of Easter to Irish republicans and outlined the preparations for this year’s parade.
“We do this every year prior the Easter commemoration,” the veteran republican said.
“The Belfast Easter parade has a massive history and hopefully this year it will be a bigger parade than before. We want to encourage as many members of the community to come out and take part in the Easter parade to show that you are proud of our republican history.
“It’s also educational, there will be republicans dressed in the uniforms of past generations of republican soldiers, from those who fought in the 1916 Rising and right down the years.
“We will also look forward to the return of the Pikemen from Wexford, who will represent those who fought in the United Irish rebellion of 1798.”
Mayor of Belfast, Sinn Féin councillor Tom Hartley, spoke of the important role Belfast played in Irish republican history.
“Easter is a defining moment in Irish republican history.
“There is a deep history in this city. Irishmen had a 200-year democratic struggle and a defining moment in that was when one of the earliest, Charlie Monahan from the Short Strand area, was killed.”
This year’s NGA Easter parade takes place on Sunday, April 12, assembling at Beechmount Avenue at 1pm before leaving at 1.30pm sharp to march to the Republican Plot in Milltown Cemetery for the annual Easter commemoration. Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams will be the keynote speaker at the Republican Plot.
North Belfast Easter Commemorations are as follows:

Saturday 11 April: Whitewell Road
Assemble at 2pm for March to Bawnmore Memorial Garden, Prominent speakers.

Sunday 12 April: Carrickhill
Assemble 10.45am at 11am and march to the Carrickhill memorial

Monday 13 April: New Lodge
Assemble 1pm Carlisle Road for parade to the New Lodge Memorial Garden at Donore Court

Tuesday 14 April: Ardoyne
Assemble at junction of Herbert Street and Elmfield Street at 1.30pm, parade to the Ardoyne Memorial at Berwick Road

Micro groups have nothing to offer

By Carál Ní Chuilín

This week we had a number of bomb scares and hijackings across North and West Belfast.
One vehicle owner was doused in petrol and a van being used by workers who were carrying out repairs to the home of a disabled man was set on fire.
In another incident in Ardoyne hijackers also stole the victim’s wallet, which contained £200.
We can only assume that the hijackings were carried out by one of the micro republican armed groups.
No one has yet made any claim of responsibility for the incidents and no one came forward to explain what political results the hijackings and bomb scares were designed to achieve.
The incidents caused serious disruption to people trying to get on with their daily life going home from work or from schools, and republican communities were affected more than anywhere else.
These actions were wrong, counterproductive and counter revolutionary.
I would like the spokespeople of those behind these alerts to come forward and explain how this will in any way achieve a united Ireland.
Their silence is as deafening as it is indicative that they are bereft of politics and strategy and as a result they will never attract popular support.
For whatever about the pretensions of these small militarist factions, the fact is they couldn't run a bath.
Their activities are entirely reactionary, geared towards destabilising the Peace Process, and incapable of producing a coherent plan to unite Ireland.
Isolated actions may come and go but it should be remembered, the track record of these factions to date has been one of killing civilians and involvement in criminal and gangland activities, North and South.
Their driving purpose is hostility for Sinn Féin, and a self-serving militarism.
The hard facts of political struggle are that political conditions, tactics and strategy are what determine the necessity for armed actions, not the hollow arguments of the cheerleaders of these factions.
They are not interested in working to achieve an Ireland of Equals, they hope only for a security crackdown, remilitarisation and a loyalist reaction.
However, the only thing the small cliques of militarists have achieved to date is to consolidate the peace process as broad unionism and loyalism have recognised the republican commitment to peaceful, democratic political change, despite the SDLP’s attempt to use recent events to revise the IRA’s campaign,
Sinn Féin are engaged in the transformation of Irish society north and south, the actions of the tiny armed groups will only make us more determined than ever to pursue our goal of an Irish Republic of Equals to a successful conclusion.

Minister is putting all her eggs in the one basket regards housing
Minister for Social Development Margaret Ritchie needs to go back to the drawing board on her proposals for the DSD budget for 2009-2010.
Under her proposals all replacement and maintenance schemes will be hit hard as she concentrates on new build. In my view the minister is putting all her eggs in the one basket.
Many small building firms will go to the wall and hundreds will lose their jobs if the minister goes down this path.
If the minister discontinues kitchen and other maintenance, homes will deteriorate and the work will cost more in the longer run.
People have been waiting for essential upgrades for a long time now, including schemes in Ardoyne and the New Lodge, but the minister has let them down once again by this decision.
The small builders who depend on this work will also be among the worst hit by the decision to cut maintenance.
It is my belief that Margaret Ritchie is incapable of running her department’s budget.
She has shown no imagination in bringing alternative proposals to fund social new-build schemes, all we have had is a trail of broken promises.
I suggest that she use land, which is situated in areas of high housing demand, to build new houses, this can cut in half the unit price of new build if given to housing associations.
Up until now all we have been told is that this Sinn Féin proposal is being looked at, which given the housing crisis we face in North Belfast alone is simply not good enough.