Regressive and backwards looking agenda will fail

By Carál Ní Chuilín

Events in North Belfast have again dominated the news for all the wrong reasons. An unwanted Orange parade through a nationalist area, an attempt by residents at peaceful protest against the march hijacked by a minority with an agenda leading nowhere and several nights of rioting in the heart of our community.

Many are working tirelessly with Sinn Féin for North Belfast. Together we are doing our best to attract regeneration, address inequality in jobs, housing, health and leisure and to ensure that resources are directed towards those in most need.
I am proud to live in and to represent the people of North Belfast. I will not be disheartened, distracted or intimidated by the efforts of anyone bent on exploiting or inflicting any type of criminality or violence on this community.

I will continue to challenge the Loyal Orders not to march through this community. I will continue to challenge the Parades Commission not to facilitate such parades. I will support the efforts of residents who seek a resolution to this issue. And I will continue to demand and work to achieve proper policing as a minimum right for the people I represent. That is Sinn Féin’s position.

I will also be to the fore in challenging those who misrepresented the pre-planned events of four days of violence and destruction within our community.
GARC, the self-appointed and non-elected residents group began a sit down protest on Ardoyne Road on the 12th of July, four hours before the parade arrived at the top of Woodvale. It was designed to pre-empt the peaceful protest organised by CARA, the locally elected residents group and to facilitate participation by a number of micro groups like RNU, Eirigi, CIRA, ONH and was also joined by numbers of anti-social elements who have terrorized this community for years.

GARC undermined any potential for a renewed public focus on the Orange Order over their demand to march through areas in which they are not wanted. They brought negative imagery and suffering to our community with no regard for the consequences. And many of them are now gone and the community is left to pick up the pieces.
During the course of these nights I, and many others, witnessed children as young as eight years old rioting. In some instances as soon as their parents became aware of this they moved immediately to bring their children home and out of harms way. Unfortunately, some parents either didn’t respond or reacted angrily to anyone suggesting they should bring their child home. One parent incredibly insisted her child had a right to riot. Some of these children were on the streets throughout the day and into the early hours.

Where young people are at risk we all have a responsibility to act in their better interests. Parents who allow their children to remain at risk must be challenged by their neighbours, by the community and by the statutory agencies.
But the rioting was not organized by eight year olds nor the vast majority of our youth nor adults. Most of our young people play a positive role in the community and take no part in interface violence. .

We are faced with a choice. Do we join together to build our community or do we acquiesce in the agenda of this few who seek to intimidate us? North Belfast is a proud community with much to be proud of, particularly our young people. I am confident that residents will face this challenge like they have faced every other, with dignity, patience and resilience. We will continue our work to build our communities and improve the lives of every single resident.
Finally, to both those who have marched through and away from Ardoyne after bringing chaos to our area and whose political strategy is a mirror image of each others’ regressive and backwards looking agenda, you have failed, again.

Sinn Féin representatives back under-attack posties

Sinn Féin representatives Tierna Cunningham and Carál Ní Chuilín joined forces with the Royal Mail to make a joint call for dog owners to ensure their pets are not attacking postmen and women.
The call came after it was revealed seven postal workers have been bitten going about their work over the past year.

Sinn Féin councillor and dog lover Tierna Cunningham said many dogs need to be trained not to attack the posties delivering the mail.
"We are asking residents to keep their dogs under control at all times but particularly during times of postal delivery," she said. "I'm a responsible dog owner myself and do my very best to ensure that my postie can drop letters to my home safely and also that my dogs don't get distressed with a stranger arriving at the gate."

Local MLA Carál Ní Chuilín said new legislation is being developed against irresponsible dog ownership.
"Currently Sinn Féin Minister Michelle Gildernew is bringing forward legislation in the Assembly concerning responsible dog ownership," she said.
"Stray dogs attacking workers and children as highlighted in this weeks courts and the persistent problem in our communities of dog fouling has to be tackled head on. We hope today's appeal coupled with new laws will help to give us a cleaner and safer environment for our families."

Gerry Kelly: Death threats will not deter me or Sinn Féin

Sinn Féin Junior Minister and north Belfast MLA Gerry Kelly has said that the latest threat on his life will no deter him or his party from continuing to represent and work on behalf of the electorate.

Mr Kelly was speaking after his constituency office received a death threat from the ‘Orange Volunteers’.

Mr Kelly said;

“As a Republican activist, threats against me are nothing new. Sinn Féin is committed to working to secure our Republican objectives while continuing to embed the peace and political processes.

Be certain that no threats, regardless of which group they emanate from, will deter us from working on behalf of the people.”

Kelly welcomes blocking of incinerator

Speaking today North Belfast MLA Gerry Kelly has welcomed the planning service's refusal to grant permission for a new incinerator on North Belfast's boundary

“It is my understanding that the planning service have refused to grant permission for an incinerator at the Ballyutoag Road site.
“I very much welcome this decision as Sinn Féin has been to the forefront of opposing incineration of waste right across Ireland.
“Our constituents in Ligoniel and Glengormely were living in real fear of this proposal being granted on their doorstep and this news will come as a great relief.

“The battle we fought in Belfast against the incinerator being sited on the North Foreshore was a significant victory for ratepayers.
“When the proposal to build it just outside the Belfast boundary arose we resumed the fight."
“Sinn Féin have consistently opposed incineration as a method of dealing with waste. There are serious health and environmental concerns internationally about incineration and far more progressive and green methods of tackling waste management.

“This decision will come as a set back to those spin doctors of incineration that have attempted to pull the wool over residents eyes with claims of waste being safely converted to energy coupled with threats of sanctions from Europe.

“I don't expect this will be the end of the battle, however I am stating clearly that Sinn Féin will join again with the community and environmental lobby groups including Friends of the Earth to oppose the building of incinerators on Irish soil.”

Dissidents show absolute disregard for Ardoyne community

Sinn Féin MLA for North Belfast Carál Ní Chuilín has stated that Dissident Republicans have shown absolute disregard for the safety and wellbeing of the people of Ardoyne. Speaking after an explosive device was found in Highbury Gardens in Ardoyne today Ms Ní Chuilín said:

“Over the past nights dissident republicans have used anti-social elements made up of groups of young people as cover for attacks in Ardoyne, the New Lodge and Broadway. This is despite appeals from local residents for no violence.

“The rioting has caused damage, distress and disruption to these communities. We have seen residents held hostage as their cars are taken and burnt, their garden walls pulled apart for bricks and major disruption to their free movement in and out of their own community.

“The latest incident is the abandoning of an explosive device in Highbury Gardens in Ardoyne. This is the summer holidays, many children are off school and could have found this device. The repercussions do not bear thinking about.

“Last year it was the dissidents who abandoned guns in Ardoyne which were found by local children.

“There is an issue certainly of the Orange Order marching through nationalist areas of Ardoyne, Moutainview and the Dales but can those who represent these dissident groups tell me if this is worth the destruction of Ardoyne and the endangering of its residents?

“The residents are certainly opposed to these marches but they are informing me that they are equally opposed to these actions.”

Maskey calls for complete ban on plastic bullets

Sinn Féin’s Policing and Justice Spokesperson Alex Maskey MLA has today once again called for a complete ban on the use of plastic bullets. Mr Maskey, who sits on the Policing Board, made the call after a number of young people were injured during disturbances in the Broadway area.

Speaking this evening Mr Maskey said;

“Once again I am calling for a complete ban on plastic bullets, they are deadly weapons and are not an effective form of dealing with the violence we seen on the Donegal Road over a number of nights.

Since rubber bullets were first introduced in the early 1970s and then replaced by plastic bullets, seventeen people, 9 of them children and teenagers, have been killed by these lethal weapons.

Thousands more have been injured, many of them scarred and disabled for life.

In 2007, then Chief Constable Hugh Orde said that plastic bullets, “will not be used for the purposes of public order/crowd control”.

The fact that the PSNI weren’t even aware of how many people had been injured by plastic bullets during the disturbances simply highlights further the indiscriminate nature of these weapons.

I have contacted Chief Contstable Matt Baggott this afternoon highlighting Sinn Féin’s concerns and our total opposition to the use of these deadly weapons and will continue to work in the time ahead to ensure they are banned totally.”

Óglach Joe McDonnell

Thursday July 8 marks the 29th anniversary of the death on hunger strike of Óglach Joe McDonnell. Joe passed away after 61 days and was the fifth man to die in the 1981 Hunger Strike. A series of events will be held from July 8-10 in Joe's memory: see details below.

THURSDAY JULY 8

5pm - White Line Picket outside Connolly House

6pm - Black Flag March from Joe's old house on Lenadoon Ave to the Hunger Strike Memorial at the Roddy McCorley Club, where Gerry Adams will speak

7.15pm - Soccer tournament matches

FRIDAY JULY 9

7.15pm - Soccer tournament matches

8.30pm - Performance of 'Blanket Men' play in the Roddy McCorley Club. Written by former POW Kieran Magee, it tells the story of conditions in the H-Blocks in the years leading up to the hunger strikes. Doors open at 7.30pm

SATURDAY JULY 10

12pm - Poc Fada at Naomh Treasa Joe McDonnell/Kieran Doherty Park

3pm - The British Army/RUC attack on Joe McDonnell's funeral. Talk and Q&A by Bobby Storey at Sarsfield's

3pm and 4.30pm - Soccer tournament matches

8.30pm - Joe McDonnell Function at the Roddy McCorley Club

www.westbelfastsinnfein.com

Use of Section 44 has now effectively ended – Maskey

Sinn Féin Policing Board member Alex Maskey MLA has welcomed the fact that the uses of Section 44 stop & search powers has now effectively ended.

Speaking this evening Mr Maskey said;

“Existing legislation must be used to the highest standard of human rights compliance and in a way that instils confidence within the community and doesn’t alienate them from policing.”

Mr Maskey continued;

“Obviously the PSNI have to work to ensure the safety of everyone within the community and to challenge any threat, regardless of the where it comes from. In saying that, they must do so in a way that is transparent and gains the confidence of citizens.

The high proportion of the use of Section 44 powers caused clear concern amongst a wider range of sectors.

I welcome the fact that this power has now been effectively brought to an end and that we can work to ensure the PSNI carries out their responsibilities in an open and transparent way.”

Dodds hypocrisy over expenses claims

Sinn Féin have accused Nigel Dodds of ‘staggering hypocrisy’ after he placed a motion before Westminster calling on constituency services to be denied to those citizens who elect Sinn Féin MPs.
Speaking today North Belfast MLA and Assembly Minister Gerry Kelly said:
“The hypocrisy of Nigel Dodds bringing a motion on Sinn Féin constituency expenses in Westminster is staggering. This is the head of the Dodds family political dynasty who routinely cash in expenses and wages cheques from the public purse from the Assembly, from Westminster, from Brussels and until recently Belfast City Council.
“He is the deputy leader of a party that has been embroiled in scandal over its relationship with property developers and whose members routinely employ and rent offices from relatives all from the public purse.
“Only last week the DUP rejected a new expenses regime in Stormont which would have seen a reduction in MLA expenses.
“For the record the five Sinn Féin MPs do not receive Westminster salaries or personal expenses. They do receive an allowance to operate our constituency offices in order to provide much needed services for our electorate.
“I think it would be better for Mr Dodds to get his own and his party’s house in order when it comes to expenses, employing relatives and relationships with property developers before he wastes parliamentary time seeking to deny ordinary citizens their rights to constituency services.”

Reform of benefit system ill hit society's most vulnerable - Ní Chuilín

A piece of legislation that wants to reform the benefit system has been severely criticised by a North Belfast assembly member.
Sinn Féin chief whip Carál Ní Chuilín said the 2010 Welfare Reform Bill, which is expected to become law later this year will hit society's most vulnerable.
Lone parents, the unemployed and those in receipt of benefits will be hardest hit by the reforms the MLA said.
"We tabled a number of constructive amendments in an aim to improve the legislation but these were completely opposed by all the other assembly parties.
"The SDLP Minister Alex Attwood may be content with regulating sanctions, Sinn Féin are not.
“The other parties, and the SDLP in particular, have very serious questions to answer about why they are bringing forward legislation that will attack the weakest within our society and nowhere is this more stark than in areas of high deprivation such as North Belfast.”
Gingerbread, a lead agency that works with lone parents, said the Welfare Reform Bill 2010 will have significant negative implications for one-parent families.
"The Bill introduces a ‘work for your benefit’ philosophy and focuses on the use of sanctions to achieve this," Marie Cavanagh Gingerbread director said.
"It also proposes increasing the pressure on lone parents to seek employment.
“The Bill will require lone parents whose youngest child is less than seven years of age to actively seek work as a condition of benefit entitlement.
"Most lone parents want to work outside the home but there are not sufficient jobs being created and even where there are jobs, there isn't sufficient child care to facilitate that.
“Gingerbread believes that's where the government should focus their energies if they want to improve the employment opportunities for lone parents."

Bone Commemoration

The annual Bone Commemortaion took place at the weekend when a new mural was unveiled

de Brún: EU must end funding of Israeli military research

Sinn Féin MEP Bairbre de Brún today called on European Commissioner, Maire Geoghagan-Quinn, to "not provide research funding for Israeli companies which engage in research on technologies which have military applications."
"The European Commission ends up helping the Israeli war machine when it funds research activities that can have military applications by companies which develop military technology. This needs to stop,” said de Brún.

"I have submitted a question to the European Commission asking how much funding has gone to companies which are likely to use the results of their EU funded research for military purposes; the measures the Commission has taken to ensure that EU funding can not be used for the development of technologies which can have a military application; and asking the Commission to prevent further such funding while Israel fails to comply with international human rights standards.”

Sammy talking sense says Kelly

Speaking after Sammy Wilson announced rates to be paid for vacant properties North Belfast MLA Gerry Kelly said:

"It's completely immoral that so many properties are left vacant by speculators whilst homelessness reaches crisis levels.
“Nowhere is this more stark than in North Belfast. I very much welcome the finance Ministers plan to impose full rates on these empty dwellings as it will pressure owners to bring them into use.

"Communities are often plagued by anti-social activity which this dereliction attracts. Sinn Féin spends vasts amounts of time trying to hold these speculators to account for their properties when neighbours lives are ruined by everything from drinkers to fires.

"Whilst we have some concerns about a range of exemptions to this proposal, it is good news for our communities in the battle to regenerate and build community pride in our areas.

“Leaving land vacant whilst awaiting the next property boom now comes at a cost that many speculators won't be willing to face."

New Lodge Six and Ardoyne families need their truth too

By Gerry Kelly
The strength and perseverance shown over the last 38 years by the families of those murdered and wounded on 'Bloody Sunday' in their pursuit of the truth is truly humbling. The fact that the same search for truth is replicated by families across Ireland is a stark demonstration that the actions of the Paras in Derry weren't the actions of a few rogue soldiers out of control. Rather, any objective analysis can only come to the conclusion that the British State at the very highest level directed a policy of state murder, collusion and cover-up.

In North Belfast between February and May 1973 our community witnessed the organized murders by British soldiers of what is known as The New Lodge Six massacre and the further five murders by the Paras in Ardoyne which were detailed in this paper last week. All of these victims were just like the victims of 'Bloody Sunday' "Completely innocent and posing no threat." The British state attempted to cover-up these killings and sully the victims’ names.

Through their allies in the media the British state in a barrage of disinformation claimed that some of the New Lodge victims had been involved in an attempted suicide bombing when shot by soldiers using night sights in Ireland for the first time.

Through the cover-up of the murder of the 11 victims of the Ballymurphy Massacre in 1971, the 14 victims of Bloody Sunday in 1972 and those 11 victims in the New Lodge and Ardoyne in 1973 the actions of the British state demonstrated a pattern which left nearly 370 victims murdered and with no prospect of justice nor truth. The Widgery report into Bloody Sunday has now been consigned to the dustbin of history and exposed as part of the cover up which enabled the British state to continue their policy of murdering citizens and collusion with loyalists for the following three decades with complete impunity.

The issue of truth and truth recovery is too big and too complex to confine to party politics. This is an all-Ireland issue which Irish society as a whole needs to be engaged in.
Sinn Féin is the only party that has put forward detailed proposals on this issue. We believe - and experiences here and in other countries demonstrate - that an independent and international truth commission is required.
So far the British state has run away from such a process. Indeed we raised it with them again only last week.

That is why you get demands from families for inquiries. Republicans are up for such a process, we have stated this time and again and have pledged to play our full part.
The British State has consistently avoided going down this road. They have consistently denied being a party to the conflict. They have operated a policy of cover-up for decades.

The reaction from the unionist parties to Eames/Bradley was disgraceful, they wouldn’t even discuss it. They rejected it out of hand without even reading it.
The families of the New Lodge Six joined with the community to hold an inquiry nearly ten years ago.

The findings were every bit as conclusive as the Saville report yet nothing has been done to bring justice for the victims. Willie Loughran, whose brother John was one of the victims, spoke movingly at the launch of the community enquiry report. He said that the families always knew the truth that their loved ones were innocent. Now it's time to give that truth full recognition.