Posted by Jim on May 26, 2015
by Friends of Sinn Fein
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams TD today raised the Assembly debate on the Welfare Reform Bill and the crisis in the north with the Taoiseach in the Dáil.
The Sinn Féin leader called on the Taoiseach to meet with the British Prime Minister David Cameron about the failure of that government to honour outstanding Good Friday Agreement commitments, its cuts to welfare payments, as well as its future planned cuts to the North’s budget.
In response, the Taoiseach confirmed that he is scheduled to meet Mr. Cameron in advance of the EU leaders meeting in June and he will raise concerns about the crisis in the North’s institutions.
Teacha Adams said:
“In the Programme for Government, and in the Statement of Government Priorities last year, the Irish government reaffirmed its support for the full implementation of all aspects of the Good Friday Agreement and subsequent agreements.
“As the Taoiseach is aware, there are significant elements of the various Agreements which have not been implemented, including the introduction of a Bill of Rights and an Acht na Gaeilge.
“The British government has also threatened to scrap the Human Rights Act which is an integral part of the Good Friday Agreement structure.
“Today, the Assembly is debating the so-called Welfare Reform Bill. The crisis in the North’s institutions is not solely due to threatened cuts to welfare payments.
“The greater crisis comes from the British Tory governments recent and planned cuts to the North’s budget. Sinn Féin and the SDLP have taken steps to block the current Bill but this is only a short term measure.
“The Taoiseach must engage directly with the British Prime Minister David Cameron and remind him that the Good Friday Agreement is a binding international treaty and that the commitments entered into must be implemented.”
Posted by Jim on
by Staff Writer of Belfast Media Group
A s First Minister Peter Robinson recovers in the Royal Victoria Hospital in West Belfast from a suspected heart attack, his party colleagues will today bring forward a Welfare Bill which could trigger the collapse of the Stormont Executive.
Having abandoned talks with Sinn Féin to close the gap between the two big parties on protections for those worst affected by welfare cutbacks, the DUP will later place in front of MLAs a ‘like-it-or-lump-it’ version of the Welfare Reform Bill.
It’s expected this will fall far short of the pledge in the Stormont House Agreement — endorsed by all five Stormont parties in the mouth of Christmas — that no claimant in receipt of payments under the control of the local Executive would be worse off under the new welfare legislation. At the time, parties estimated protections for the most vulnerable — including children with disabilities, adults with severe disabilities, the long-term ill and large families — would set the Executive back almost £600m over the next six years. In March, Sinn Féin withdrew from talks with the DUP over the new legislation when they said it became clear not all claimants were to be protected.
Sinn Féin and the SDLP have already signed ‘a petition of concern’ which means today’s motion will fall due to lack of cross-community support. DUP Finance Minister Arlene Foster told the BBC this morning that if the Welfare Bill fell it would lead to a financial crisis and mammoth cutbacks.
One alternative being suggested by the DUP is inviting Westminster to take back welfare powers — thus giving London ministers carte blanche to impose the scale of cuts on welfare recipients which are already the order of the day in Britain.
But any tinkering with the devolution of powers by London would put a question mark over the entire Good Friday Agreement structures and could lead to the collapse of the Executive.
And last night Martin McGuinness warned the political structures were not sustainable under the weight of cutbacks planned by the newly-elected Tory Government.
“We made it very clear in our election manifesto that the Executive needs a viable budget for frontline public services and welfare protections for the most vulnerable,” he said. “Sinn Féin will not support a Welfare Bill which does not contain those protections and we will not be part of any agenda, which punishes the poor and dismantles public services. In my view the measure of any society is how it treats those most in need and those most vulnerable. In the face of such devastating Tory cuts our public services, our welfare system, our departments and the Executive itself is not sustainable.”
Stormont has teetered on the edge before only to be saved from collapse by the eleventh-hour intervention of the Irish and British governments and the US administration. But on this occasion, without Peter Robinson at the helm, it’s anybody’s guess whether the DUP, emboldened by the support of the UUP and Alliance on this issue, will re-enter talks with their nationalist counterparts or allow the situation at Stormont to move from crisis to collapse.
Posted by Jim on
By Ray O’Hanlon
rohanlon@irishecho.com
As expected, Governor Rick Scott of Florida has signed a state budget bill that includes, in its multitudinous line items, a bill that rescinds the state’s MacBride Principles law.
The budget bill, which had to be passed in totality or not at all, was signed by Scott Thursday even as Ancient Order of Hibernians members in the state were inundating the governor’s office with calls.
The Florida MacBride law had been on the books since 1988, a year of particularly strong MacBride activity across the U.S.
And in another development, it has emerged that Nebraska, with little fanfare or fuss, rescinded its MacBride law in 2011.
The rescinding was presented in January of that year to legislators on the state’s Retirement Systems Committee as a money saving measure.
The amount saved was, according to a transcript of the committee’s deliberations obtained by the Echo, $8,500.
With Florida and Nebraska subtracted, the principles are today law in just 16 states, though they are also enshrined, since 1998, in U.S. federal law.
The Florida rescinding measure was an item in the overall budget bill generated by “Bill Analysis and Fiscal Impact Statement” drawn up for the Florida Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government.
The bill, SB 7024, was then introduced in the Senate back in early March by the Government Oversight and Accountability Committee. The impact statement cover page also refers to the State Board of Administration.
The language 7024 is dry and matter of fact; it give virtually no hint of a political hand behind it. The bill even lists the MacBride Principles.
Nevertheless, the rescinding of the Sunshine State’s MacBride code is prompting an immediate pushback from pro-MacBride groups such as the AOH and Irish National Caucus.
In a statement, Greg Seán Canning, AOH Florida State President, expressed “great disappointment” after receiving a call from the governor’s office “informing me that Governor Scott signed Senate Bill 7024 into law.”
Canning continued: “Despite the loss of our initiative to prevent this legislation from becoming law, there is some positive news. First, the Governor’s office stated that they were inundated with phone calls all day. They also stated that they never realized how organized the AOH was and the strength of our response.
“That being said, I would like to express my gratitude for the quick response from our Brothers, Sisters, and Friends both in and outside of Florida. We only learned about Bill 7024 a few days ago. This Bill was held up in committee throughout most of the legislative process. This kept it out of the public eye.
“When it was finally released, the Senate only had two days to consider it. Many knew nothing of its ramifications. They were informed that this legislation would help the economic situation in the North and that because of the progress being made within the 6 Counties, the Mac Bride Principles were no longer needed. By the time this Bill became public knowledge, it was too late.”
Canning followed up with a call to action stating in part: “First, while we would rather engage in a struggle that we would have a better chance of winning, we cannot always turn away from those that offer little to no chance of success.
“There are those situations (this being one of them) when we as an organization must take a stand based on ethics. If we must always base our actions on victories only, then we have failed as an organization with principals. There will be those times when we will have to engage an issue even if there is no chance of success. I believe that this situation needed a strong response from us.
“Going forward, we must all keep a close watch on future economic bills that might serve to alter the current economic situation in Northern Ireland. This bill may well pave the way for stronger legislation in Florida or similar legislation in other States.
“Make no mistake, the MacBride Principles are under attack. We must seriously think of how to inform legislators from other States on the ramifications of removing the protection of the MacBride Principles in Northern Ireland. Doing so can and will reopen the doors of economic discrimination against the Irish Catholic Nationalist population within the 6 Counties.”
Fr. Sean McManus, president of the Irish National Caucus and the most high profile MacBride campaigner in the U.S. since the 1980s, didn’t mince his words describing the Florida rescinding as “anti-Catholic, anti-Irish.
Said the Washington, D.C.-based McManus in a statement released before Governor Scott signed the budget bill: “If Florida’s governor were to sign a Senate Bill to repeal the MacBride Principles, it will be seen as anti-Catholic and anti-Irish — whatever the governor’s intentions.
“Why would the Florida Senate attempt to do this? Who manipulated them in such a way? The MacBride Principles are universally regarded as being the most important and effective campaign ever against anti-Catholic discrimination in Northern Ireland.
“The Governor would be profoundly ill-advised to be associated with such an awful act. The MacBride Principles were passed to ensure that Florida dollars would not subsidize anti-Catholic discrimination in Northern Ireland. Those who are opposed to these principles will logically and naturally be seen to be anti-Catholic and anti-Irish. That’s politics 101.”
Posted by Jim on May 25, 2015
By Gerry Adams 21st May 2015
A few years ago I visited NUI Galway to address the students on the peace process. The hall was packed and for reasons I still don’…t quite understand there were very few chairs put out for the hundreds of students who turned up. Most sat on the floor and the craic was great.
I was back there again on Tuesday. The heir to the British throne, Prince Charles, was in Ireland with his wife Camilla for a four day visit. At the weekend the Sinn Féin Ard Chomhairle met and discussed the party’s approach. On her recent visits to Ireland the British Queen Elizabeth had made clear her desire to be part of a process of reconciliation and healing. The meeting between Martin McGuinness and Queen Elizabeth in Belfast and then subsequently during a state visit by President Michael D, were widely acknowledged as historic and a boost to reconciliation efforts.
It was in this context, of peace building, that I raised the possibility of Sinn Féin leaders meeting with Charles during his visit. I believed that such a meeting could be very helpful as we seek to heal the hurt of decades of conflict. Following several conversations it was agreed. On Tuesday morning Senator Trevor O Clochartaigh and I arrived at NUI Galway.
We were to be joined later by Martin McGuinness for a private meeting when the formal NUIG business was over. By the time Trevor and I arrived most of the guests were already assembled. They included school children from Connemara. At Trevor’s prompting they gave us a rousing rendition of Peigín Ligir Móir. I was delighted especially to meet Colm Seoighe a wonderful young guitarist and his fellow students and singers and their teachers. Colm’s guitar is autographed by Christy Moore.
‘Ride On ‘ dúirt mé leis.
In the meantime it rained. Then the sun shone warmly. Then it rained again. Luckily the meeting with Charles was indoors. We were introduced at the reception by Gearoid O Conluain on behalf of NUIG and shook hands.
I welcomed him in Irish and English. “Cead Mile Fáilte. Tá mé sasta go bhfuil tú arais agus tú ag dul go Mullach Mór”
“Welcome. It’s good that you are back and going to Mullach Mór”.
We spoke briefly before I introduced him to Trevor.
Later Trevor joined Martin and me for a private meeting with Charles. This engagement lasted about 20 minutes or so upstairs in an office. It was a cordial and relaxed discussion. Despite some of the difficult issues we each spoke of it was a positive conversation. We acknowledged that he and his family had been hurt and suffered great loss at Mullaghmore by the actions of Irish republicans. Martin and I said we were very conscious of this and of the sad loss of the Maxwell family whose son Paul was also killed.
We spoke also of the hurt inflicted on our friends and neighbours and on our own communities in Derry and Ballymurphy and Springhill by the actions of the Parachute Regiment and other British regiments. In 1971 and 1972 in Ballymurphy and Springhill sixteen local citizens, including three children, a mother of eight, two Catholic priests and ten unarmed men were killed by the Paras.
I also told him of the campaign by victims of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings to get the British Government to hand over its files about these events – believed to involve its agents – to Irish authorities.
He shared his own memories of the conflict starting in the 60s. It is obvious that he wants to play a positive role in making conflict a thing of the past. That is the Sinn Fein view also.
Thankfully the conflict is now over. Tuesday’s meeting is part of the necessary process which must now address in a more substantial way than ever before the issue of reconciliation and healing. That must mean that all victims and survivors of the conflict, who are still seeking justice and truth are given the strongest support.
Whether they were bereaved by the IRA, or by the myriad British state agencies, or through state sponsored collusion, the victims and their families and communities deserve justice. In this context it is crucial that the process of healing and of reconciliation is enhanced and strengthened.
Tuesday’s meeting in itself is a significant symbolic and practical step forward in the process of healing and reconciliation. But for substantial progress to be made the Governments and the political parties will have to build on this opportunity.
Reconciliation is an enormous challenge for all of us. It is a personal process of dialogue, engagement, and compromise. It’s about healing the past and building a new, better and fairer future based on equality.
There is now a peaceful way to end partition and the union. All who want a United Ireland have a duty to embrace this and to make friends with our neighbours.
The participation of myself and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness and Seanadóir Trevor O Clochartaigh and other Sinn Féin leaders in the visit by Prince Charles is a measure of our commitment to resolving outstanding legacy issues and to be part of an inclusive healing and reconciliation process and a new political dispensation between the people of this island.
I have no doubt that some people will be upset at the Galway meeting. That is their right if they are victims or survivors. Others may be upset because of their politics or because they have a narrow view of the past and no real strategy for the future. That also is their right.
But our resolve and responsibility is to ensure that no else suffers as a result of conflict; that no other family is bereaved; that the experience of war and of loss and injury is never repeated.This means all of us working together. That requires generosity and respect from all and for all.
We are all living in a time of transition for the people of the island of Ireland and between Ireland and Britain. I don’t have a lot in common with a member of the British royal family. But we are of the same age. We have some interests in common. These also were touched upon in our conversation. We have both been bereaved in conflict. This week’s engagements are part of the process of building relationships, breaking down barriers to understanding and creating the space – as Seamus Heaney defined it – ‘in which hope can grow.’
There are many challenges facing the political Institutions established by the Good Friday Agreement and by the popular will of the people of the island of Ireland. These challenges, which are multiple and immediate, must be overcome.
Leaders have a responsibility to lead. That is what we are trying to do. As we face into the future let all our steps be forward steps.
Posted by Jim on
The Republican Network for Unity has warned that a policy of selective
internment is now being used against republicans by the state forces in
the 26 counties.
Their statement follows a recent ‘crackdown’ against republicans ahead
of the visit to the state of British royals Charles and Camilla.
“This policy is being used as a means to attempt to break the spirit and
determination of the Republican community,” said RNU spokesperson Ann
McParland. “The recent arrests and the subsequent internment of three
individuals… only serves as a constant reminder of the 26 county
government’s active participation in what is a British government
agenda.”
There is a dark history of imprisoning republicans without trial in the
26 County state, from the 1920’s through the 1970’s, and up until the
present day.
Ms McParland said there had been a return of a “policy of persecution”
and the “normalisation of the infringement of the republican community’s
human rights”. This had been cemented by a recent Supreme Court ruling
to allow the use of evidence gathered illegally.
“The very fact that any republican who engages in electoral work and or
any form of political activism can have charges levied against them,
coupled with the fact that the word of [a police superintendent] is
enough to have you interned, is evidence of the state endorsed campaign
against the Republican community.”
She also called on Sinn Fein and others to “examine their conscience in
relation to the blatant targeting and continuous persecution of
republican individuals and their families through the policy of
political policing.
“The electorate must question the intentions of the current
administration in relation to powers being afforded to Gardai at the
moment to suppress any alternative political voice or opinion.”
The arrest of the RNU chairperson in the Strabane area this week was
also being linked to the agenda of political policing across the island.
“The man who lives with his wife and three children was hauled away by
the RUC/PSNI as armed thugs marauded through his home,” the group said.
“The over-the-top security operation, recognisable to republicans
throughout Ireland, was both unneeded and unnecessary. The state militia
occupied the RNU activist’s home, distressing his young family for over
six hours.
“This comes after a wave of RUC/PSNI and British Army harassment
directed against RNU members and their families in recent weeks, often
involving destructive house raids, stop and searches along with futile
arrests.”