Sinn Féin host Belfast Neighbourhood Renewal Groups

A meeting of Neighbourhood Renewal groups from across Belfast was hosted by Sinn Féin on Thursday in the City Hall.
Speaking after the session Sinn Fein’s Social Development Spokesperson Carál Ní Chuilín MLA said:
“I’m delighted at the fantastic turnout today and that so many people have come along to voice their concerns.
“Neighbourhood Renewal is a good and progressive concept which if introduced effectively will place the communities needs and the delivery of services and equality at the heart of local government.
“Sinn Féin set out our vision of how this should proceed and took this opportunity to update local groups.
“We are clearly campaigning against deprivation and for social justice for communities through our work on the Social Development Committee and see Neighbourhood Renewal as a major part of getting it right.
“Finally the clear message from today’s meeting was community planning is vital and must be accountable, effectively structured and properly resourced,” said the Sinn Féin MLA.

Sinn Féin Councillor warns against cowboy builders

Sinn Féin Councillor and Deputy Mayor Danny Lavery today hit out at cowboy builders across Belfast that have taken advantage of home owners lack of knowledge of planning law.
“I am dealing with dozens of cases of people that have extended their homes by installing domer windows without planning permission,” said the Sinn Féin Councillor.
“Many constituents have been told by builders that planning permission is not required which is totally wrong.
“Vulnerable people are being taken advantage of by these cowboy builders and deliberately mislead,” said the North Belfast Councillor.
“Belfast City Council Planning Enforcement Department are warning against such practices and we support them on grounds of health and safety.
“However we are calling for them to treat these families with sympathy as many of them have been forced into this situation through overcrowding and the massive waiting lists especially in North Belfast,” added the Councillor.
“It's the small number of these cowboy builders that the Council should be tackling first as they are exploiting often the poorest of people in communities across the city.
“In my view as long as those extensions that have been completed pose no danger then the Council should treat these cases with lenience. However people should be cautious in future as the liability does lie with the home owner.”

McGimpsey needs to face Assembly -Ní Chuilín

Sinn Fein MLA Carál Ni Chuilín has today stated that the Health Minister, Michael McGimpsey, cannot keep avoiding scrutiny. This follows number of important motions not being accepted for debate in the Assembly due to the Minister not making himself available to attend.

“I have to question the apparent unwillingness of Michael McGimspey to make himself available to respond to questions in the Assembly about his performance as Minister for Health. As Minister he has a responsibility to the Assembly and the people that we represent to be available for scrutiny in an open, accountable, and transparent manner on the floor of the Assembly," said Ní Chuilín.

“However on four occasions in recent weeks health motions and adjournment debates have failed to be selected at the Business Committee because it was claimed that the Minister will not be available to be present in the Assembly chamber in order for the issues to be debated.

“These motions are dealing with key issues that fall under his remit such as the protection of children and vulnerable adults and the relocation of health services support staff from Armagh.

“It is unacceptable for the Minister to keep delaying and avoiding scrutiny of his performance in the chamber. Only last week a Member of the Minister's own Party the UUP was complaining about the cost of written questions to the Minister were excessive and politically motivated but if the Minister does not make himself available to answer questions in the Chamber then members have no other recourse but to seek answers in writing. Therefore I would suggest that the Member's time would be better served ensuring that his party's Minister make himself available o the Assembly.

"The question that needs answered is, what exactly is Michael McGimpsey attempting to avoid answering questions on?"

No return to unionist rule

By Gerry Kelly
I couldn’t have described it better than Jim Allister! The old Stormont, that is, which practised ‘not an inch’ when it came to nationalists. It was certainly the most “wretched, useless government anywhere in the western world.”
Except, of course, that Allister at his weekend conference was referring to the modern power-sharing arrangement at Stormont into which, first David Trimble, and next the DUP, were dragged against their prejudices.
The nationalist community, through its resistance and sacrifices, through standing strong, ensured that never again would it live under one-party unionist misrule. The price for devolution was that traditional unionism had to adapt, had to share government and had to accept the legitimacy of our aspirations as expressed in the all-Ireland bodies under the Good Friday Agreement.
Jim Allister is a throwback to an earlier age who would blindly walk the unionist community into a cul-de-sac and whose speeches are propaganda manna to dissident republicans wishing to present the unionist people as being beyond change.
There is no doubt that the DUP has continuing difficulty coming to terms with the reality of life today. After all, the DUP itself perpetuated the notion of unionist supremacy, that it was going to ‘Smash Sinn Féin’ and not go into government (ironically, the very slogans now used by the TUV to taunt the DUP).
Unionists had no problem administering ‘justice’ and ‘policing’ as long as those departments were under the control of unionists, as they were prior to 1972 and consistently used and abused. But now the DUP has a problem with justice and policing being devolved to the people of the North where there can be scrutiny and accountability.
Initially, we were told that the missing requirement was proper funding. Then, when that was resolved through negotiations with Downing Street and to the satisfaction of the PSNI Chief Constable, more preconditions were introduced, the latest one from Jeffrey Donaldson who stated that policing and justice will not be devolved if the full-time police reserve is phased out, as agreed in the Belfast Agreement. Earlier, we had talk that unionist confidence could only be built if the Parades Commission was abolished.
With a growing list of demands sounding very like blackmail, we then have Peter Robinson turning the English language on its head and accusing Sinn Féin of blackmail for insisting that the DUP stick to the undertakings it gave!
It is hard not to conclude that the DUP leadership is guilty of running away and is taking a huge gamble with the whole process.
Sinn Féin has taken real risks for peace and continues to do so.
But, let it also be said, that we will not let the DUP turn back the political clock to unionist rule or anything like it.

Stadium gets Sinn Féin backing

North Belfast Sinn Féin MLA Carál Ní Chuilín, has welcomed a further step in the development of a cross community sports stadium at the North Foreshore when she joined party colleague and junior minister Gerry Kelly at the launch of the ‘Crusaders-Newington ‘Ambassadors Programme’ in the Lansdowne Hotel.
Early this week organisers behind the bid to build the sports stadium held a meeting with Sinn Féin MEP Bairbre de Brún as well as the North Belfast Sinn Féin team at the Northern Assembly.
"Here is an example of a project which has a North Belfast approach to addressing investing for health, sports, urban regeneration, education and employment and I'm convinced it will be a success, which will bring massive social benefits for people living in North Belfast,” said Ní Chuilín.
At the earlier meeting MEP Bairbre de Brún said the project held huge community regeneration potential.
"The importance of the project lies in it's social aspects, and I think for that reason it's useful to have met with the MEPs and get our support for what is a very worthwhile proposal and one which will allow the clubs to bring that social benefit to the area.”

Kelly welcomes priest’s release

North Belfast MLA Gerry Kelly has welcomed news that a 79-year-old Irish priest, held hostage for a month by rebels in the Philippines, has been released.
Fr Michael Sinnott was seized by gunmen from his mission office in Pagadian on Mindanao island on 11 October.
The Irish government said it had not paid a ransom for the release of the Columban missionary.
Gerry Kelly and former British Government Chief of Staff Jonathan Powell were involved in behind-the-scenes talks with the Philippine government and rebels to secure the Irish priest's release.
The North Belfast MLA said he had been telephoned directly by a Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) intermediary this morning to announce Fr Sinnott's release.
"We welcome Fr Sinnott's release.The family are very relieved he's out and he's safe," Gerry Kelly said.
"I got a call this morning from an MILF intermediary, basically saying there was an MILF taskforce who found the priest in a coastal village of Zamboanga City.
"They immediately handed him over to their peace negotiating committee who in turn got in touch with the Philippines government and handed him over to them.
"The word is that Fr Sinnott was in the hands of a guy, a notorious pirate called Commander Inggo in the area of Lanao del Norte. We had emails from MILF about the situation talking about how certain politicians were blaming them.
“We advised them to resist this and they told us they would try their best and they obviously have."

Westlink work nearing completion – Sinn Féin MLA

North Belfast MLA Carál Ní Chuilín has welcomed the news that work on the slip road at the North Belfast section of the Westlink is set to be finished by next week.
“This is an issue which local road users have raised with me. I hope this reply provides clarity for people and the prospect of improved access in the near future," she said.
The Roads Service has said the high skid surfacing of the slip road will be completed by next Thursday (19 November). To finish the work the Westlink M2 Bound Carriageway, at the Clifton Street onslip and Westlink M2 bound, will be closed from 11:00pm to 6am next Monday to Thursday.
Motorists are asked to note the work is weather-dependent and the overnight closures may be deferred. However, it is the intention to complete this work before the Roads Service's Christmas embargo, which starts on 23 November.