DUP leader Peter Robinson has said he believes reunification
could happen because of Brexit and has called for a debate on
“protections” for the unionist community.
His remarks came as an official report showed that people in the north
of Ireland would be better off in a united Ireland inside the European
Union.
Speaking at the McGill summer school on Friday, Peter Robinson, who
retired as the Six County First Minister in 2016, said he believes the
North must now prepare for the possibility of a united Ireland.
The former leader of the hardline Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) said
he would accept the results of a border poll which could led to the
North joining the South, if there is a majority within the Six Counties.
“As soon as that decision is taken every democrat will have to accept
that decision,” he said in response to a question from the audience. But
he said holding a border poll without preparation for reunification
would be “madness”, and compared it to the British decision to leave the
European Union.
While he said he did not believe it would happen, he said he could not
rule it out. The unionist community should have “protections” in the
event of reunification, as the nationalist community currently enjoys in
the North, and he called for “a working north-south institution” to
smooth relationships across the two islands.
In a response to Robinson’s comments posted on Twitter, Sinn Fein’s
spokesperson on reunification Matt Carthy said: “Something big is
happening — change is coming. We all need to prepare for unity.”
Earlier this week a committee of the Dublin parliament circulated a
report internally which confirms the financial benefits of reunification
in the aftermath of Brexit. The main author is a German economist, Gunther
Thumann, who worked as a senior economist at the German desk of the
International Monetary Fund at the time of German reunification. He
brought his understanding of that process to the situation in Ireland.
The Six County budget, which currently faces an annual deficit of some
nine billion pounds, would be near balanced in a reunification scenario,
he reported. Some three billion could be saved be ending the North’s
contribution to British defence expenditure and debt interest, among
others, while almost two billion could be saved by combining public
services across the island.
It also argues that there wold also be a significant adjustment due to
pensions, as these would remain the legal responsibility of the British
government since the pension liabilities accrued under British rule.
Sinn Fein has long argued that unification would be beneficial to
Ireland and published a report two years ago to dispel what it calls the
“unaffordability myth”.
The Thumann research has inexplicably not been published, apparently at
the request of Irish diplomats, but it was passed on to members of the
Dublin parliament by the Committee on the Implementation of the Good
Friday Agreement.
Its ultimate conclusion was that everybody in the North of Ireland would
be better off in a united Ireland, and inside the EU.
“This is of course, before taking into account the likely potential for
growth in Northern Ireland following unification as happened in East
Germany following its reunification,” said Fianna Fail Senator Mark
Daly, who co-authored the report.
Reports of the research emerged as a historic meeting took place of the
British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference (BIIGC) in London, its first
meeting in eleven years.
With the collapse of the devolved institutions at Stormont, the
conference gives Dublin a consultative role on most issues affecting the
north of Ireland. Dismissed by unionists as a talking shop, many
nationalists see it as a possible first step to joint authority of the
North by the two governments, and therefore a potential stepping stone
to reunification.
An agenda for the meeting was not released to the public.
RADIO FREE EIREANN will broadcast this Saturday July 28th on WBAI Radio 99.5FM or WBAI.ORG at 12 noon-1pm New York time or 5pm-6pm in Ireland or anytime after the program on WBAI.ORG – Archives (scroll back to 12 noon Saturday)
Radio Free Eireann, will interview JOE BARR of Saoradh in Derry about Ian Paisley’s 30 day suspension and possible removal from Westminster,the recent upsurge in violence in Derry and Belfast , Saoradh’s condemnation of attacks on the homes of former Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams and party member Bobby Storey or of any Republicans, and his party’s reaction to requests for dialogue.
As a new Irish festival begins in Queens,RFE will get the latest details from organizers.
This is a special pledge program where listeners will get a chance to become WBAI Pledge Buddies.
Pope Francis will be the first pontiff to visit Ireland since John Paul II in 1979
By Mark SimpsonBBC News NI
Pope Francis may signal on his visit to Dublin next month that he is considering a separate visit to Northern Ireland, according to a former British Ambassador to the Vatican.
Francis Campbell, who helped to organise Pope Benedict’s trip to the UK in 2010, said a papal visit to Northern Ireland could happen in 2019.
The Pope is due visit to Ireland in August.
There are no plans for him to travel across the border.
Mr Campbell said: “With Pope Francis, I would never rule out the spontaneous. Much to the regret of a diplomat, he is a Pope who is very difficult to predict.
“However I think that on this occasion, I think it will be a visit that will be confined to the south and the World Meeting of Families.
“But I think, I would be hopeful, that perhaps there will be some words in the context of his visit that might signal a very strong desire or willingness on the part of Pope Francis to visit Northern Ireland at some point in the very near future.
“Remember we are dealing with someone who is quite advanced in age.
“I think if Pope Francis wishes to come north of the border and wishes to do a visit to Northern Ireland, then one has to think in terms of a timescale of 12 or 18 months.”
Pope Francis is 81 years old. The last pontiff to visit the Republic of Ireland was Pope John Paul II.
He drew crowds of over 2.5m – more than half the state’s population – in 1979.
‘Abuse’
Mr Campbell, who is vice chancellor at St Mary’s University, London, said Pope Francis’ visit is likely to be very different.
“He knows the country somewhat, but on another level he’s coming from Latin America, he is not a European like his predecessor, so in a sense this is a visit that is very difficult to type-cast,” he said.
Mr Campbell said also it is “inevitable” that Pope Francis will address the issue of sex abuse scandals in the Irish Catholic church.
“It will be an opportunity for Pope Francis to say something directly, not only to the people who identity as Catholic but to the whole of society about the abuse issue and, I hope, to actually be able to give some healing in relation to that as well.”
Francis Campbell was British Ambassador to the Holy See from 2005 to 2011
‘Refugees and migrants’
Mr Campbell said the Vatican will be choosing their words carefully during the two-day visit.
“How do you tackle the negative aspects, for example, that have been thrown up by the abuse but how do you also remind a society of the deeper meaning in life, that it’s not simply about economic wealth?
“That’s what I’ll be listening for when Pope Francis comes.
“Pope Francis is someone who is critiquing society, in particular western society, reminding western society about those that are marginalised and forgotten.
“People who are homeless, people without health care. Refugees and migrants coming in.
“And I think there will be some challenge or some call, perhaps, to wider Irish society not just to focus on the material, but to focus on something of the soul of the nation, and asking people difficult questions.”
Ireland since 1979
Mr Campbell said the Vatican would also be looking at the “huge social change” that has taken place in Ireland.
“And the question is – where does faith and where does the Church and where does society find an accommodation around that?
“These are fundamental questions and they’re not the same questions that would have occurred in 1979,” he said.
Active Firefighter
George R. Scheer
Engine Company 249
WAKE
Monday, July 30, 2018
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
The Bridge Church
1 Norwood Avenue
Malverne, NY 11565
FUNERAL
Wednesday, August 1, 2018
11:00 am
St. Thomas the Apostle Church
12 Westminster Road
West Hempstead, NY 11552
In response to an inaccurate post on the Tyrone AOH Facebook page concerning the AOH National Convention, a reporter from the Belfast Telegraph reached out to Vice President O’Connell for an interview. Despite efforts to clear up the inaccuracies and relay the facts, the reporter instead in her article persisted in parroting misinformation and conflated irrelevant detains resulting in portraying a specious inaccurate narrative. Below is worthy Vice President O’Connells response to the editor of the Belfast Telegraph. It should be noted, and as was explained ad nauseum to the reporter, the Tyrone AOH is a separate and distinct organization from the AOH in America
Tuesday, July 24, 2018
Editor,
From the outset of the interview which allegedly formed the basis of Ms. Leonard’s Belfast Telegraph article “Hibernians in US ‘ban’ pro-choice Irish Parties from annual [sic] big bash”, it was clear that Ms. Leonard was attempting to shepherd the responses to her questions to fit a predetermined conclusion she had arrived at before our call. Despite repeatedly correcting Ms. Leonard who kept insisting on the use of the word ‘ban’ and informing her that the AOH has not “banned” anyone we find that she has resorted to repeating this mischaracterization to add titillation to her headline. Ms. Leonard also inaccurately describes the biannual (every two years) convention as an “annual big bash”. Sadly, the inaccuracies of the headline are only a pale prelude to the misrepresentations in the body of the article.
Egregiously, Ms. Leonard presents a bowdlerized representation of an AOH resolution condemning the US Democratic Party Chairman for comments advocating an ideological test act as regards abortion and disingenuously presents it as if it was a condemnation of Irish Political parties. As was explained to Ms. Leonard (but did not make it into her article) the AOH is an Irish Catholic American organization that is unapologetically committed to pro-life. However, the AOH has also always been a champion of self-determination for the Irish people. The people of the Republic of Ireland have spoken democratically, and we must respect their vote. Even the closest of friends can “agree to disagree” while still working together on other areas of common cause. Ironically and sadly, the resolution which Ms. Leonard “cherry-picked” for her own ends was sent to her to illustrate that the AOH stance is not confined to any specific party, whether in the US or Ireland. The resolution in question was sent to her to highlight that while actively condemning abortion the AOH has and will continue to work effectively with US leaders on issues relating to the Good Friday Agreement, Brexit, and Immigration.
In her article, Ms. Leonard also continues to misleadingly conflate the AOH in Tyrone with the American AOH. As was explained at great length to Ms. Leonard, while both organizations can trace their antecedents back to a common organization, the AOH in America and the AOH in Ireland are two distinct organization with separate leaderships and constitutions. Sadly, someone in the Tyrone AOH who was not privy to the American AOH Convention, or the decisions leading up to it, chose to make inaccurate statements on the Tyrone AOH Facebook regarding the American AOH convention. Regretfully, rather than embracing her journalistic responsibility to present the facts and disabuse rumor, Ms. Leonard seems to have chosen instead to perpetuate unfounded gossip to create a salacious, if inaccurate, story.
The Hibernians call on the Editorial Board of the Belfast Telegraph to investigate this matter and upon ascertaining the facts print a correction and apology.
Sincerely,
Daniel J. O’Connell
National Vice President
The Ancient Order of Hibernians in America, Inc
In response to an inaccurate post on the Tyrone AOH Facebook page concerning the AOH National Convention, a reporter from the Belfast Telegraph reached out to Vice President O’Connell for an interview. Despite efforts to clear up the inaccuracies and relay the facts, the reporter instead in her article persisted in parroting misinformation and conflated irrelevant detains resulting in portraying a specious inaccurate narrative. Below is worthy Vice President O’Connells response to the editor of the Belfast Telegraph. It should be noted, and as was explained ad nauseum to the reporter, the Tyrone AOH is a separate and distinct organization from the AOH in America