Sinn Fein
The Week in Review
23-30 January 2014
Conor Murphy MP in London – urges governments and parties to press for progress on Haass
Sinn Féin representative, Conor Murphy MP was in London this week where he spoke to MPs, briefed the media and addressed a Westminster public meeting on the need for political parties, and broad civic society, to urge the British government to clearly support the proposals which emerged from talks involving the North’s political parties, chaired by Richard Haass and Meghan O’Sullivan. Mr Murphy met cross-party British MP’s and hosted a briefing meeting for representatives of London-based Embassies on the current political situation emerging from the Haass talks.
On 28th January a well attended public meeting involving the wider Irish community and other individuals and organisations expressed support for progress and saw a wide ranging calls for political parties – including Labour – to also press the government to get behind the Haass proposals.
Mr Murphy said Sinn Féin `has made clear from the start our support for these proposals. We have called on the Irish and British Governments, as co-Equal guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement, to make clear statements in support of the Haass proposals and work with all parties towards their implementation. In recent weeks, our MP’s have been in London to press this case and to urge all those with political influence and who support progress to do likewise. It is time the government in London stepped up to the plate on this matter.’
He added `The party leaders in the north will be meeting again soon to plot a course forward based on Haass’ proposals. Not only do people at home want to see progress, but people in Britain, and particularly among the Irish diaspora, also want to see politics moving forward. There is immense goodwill towards the peace process and a transformation in relations between our two islands. The vast majority of people north and south, and in Britain, want to see this continue. This meeting reflects that interest, and it is a view the British government must take account of’.
Civic society urges progress,
He added `The current position of the British government is simply not good enough. Saying the proposals “have merit” is not enough, nor is standing aside as if only a spectator and seeking to leave it to the parties. We also reject the farcical suggestion that the costs of implementation of the proposals should come out of the block grant to the north, which has already been cut by the coalition government’s policy of austerity. It is time for the parties to implement what is there and for the governments to press those who are stalling to get on with it. These meetings have provided a timely opportunity for some important discussion on this, and with the wider community, who all have a stake in the success of this process to make their voices heard’.
Read Conor Murphy’s piece, published in the Morning Star this week, on the need to Build a society based on a Shared Future.
Sinn Fein Ard Fheis 2014 set for positive, wide ranging debate
Sinn Fein’s Annual Ard Fheis (Conference) takes place this year on 7-8 February in Wexford. The Clar (Agenda) is now available online with motions on a wide range of issues
Friday will see the Ard Fheis opened by Sinn Fein Senator David Cullinane, followed by debates on the Economy and workers’ rights, including Decent Work for Decent Pay, Reducing the Tax Burden on Ordinary Workers, Protecting the Conditions of those in Work, and Economic Sovereignty. Martin McGuinness will make his Keynote Address, followed by motions dealing with the Peace Process, including Dealing with the Legacy of the Past, Building a New Future Based on Equality and Respect, Policing and Justice.
On Saturday the Ard Fheis will debate Investing in Transport, Health including Radical Changes Needed in Health Policy, Mental Health Must be a Key Priority, Tackling Drug and Alcohol Abuse; The Way Forward in Education, Protecting the Most Vulnerable in Society, Investment in Social Housing and tackling the Mortgage Crisis.
Later debates will include International Solidarity and EU Affairs, Environment, Energy and Infrastructure, Listening to Communities – Opposing Pylons, A Ban on Fracking, Climate Change, Defending Rural Ireland, Real Political Reform and Ending Cronyism and Promoting LGBT Rights. A specific debate Towards a New Republic will include Time to Set a Date for a Border Poll, Promoting the Irish Language, and Importance of Arts and Sports.
Sinn Fein Presidential Address will be given by Gerry Adams. International speakers will be from the Basque country, Palestine and from the ANC, with a special tribute to Nelson Mandela.
Adams calls for regular Debates on North in Dáil
On 28 January, Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams, raised during Taoiseach’s Questions, the need for a regular, structured debate in the Dáil on the north.
While he welcomed the fact that there would be such a debate next week, the Sinn Féin leader urged the Taoiseach to do more.
He said the north was dealt with in `an ad hoc way, usually as a result of some crisis, or of some other difficulty in the political or peace process, and that’s not the best way to proceed.’
He said `citizens in this state expect a consistent involvement of the government in the matters that affect them’ and citizens in the north `expect the Dáil to do the same’. He said he wanted to see `issues of the past dealt with in a rational, reasoned, considered and informed manner but I also want to see the future discussed. I want to see us breaking out of what I can only characterise as Free Stateism, of partitionism’.
He said that the Good Friday Agreement `is an all-Ireland international agreement so we need to look at how we can get not just greater co-operation but also how we build future relationships based on equality with everyone who lives on the island. And how we get the British government to face up to its responsibilities and implement those aspects of the agreement that it has failed to implement’.
Concluding he urged `dedicated time on a regular basis set aside for discussion on matters relating to the north.’ In response, the Taoiseach indicated his willingness to look at doing this.
Victims of British state collusion meet MEPs in Europe
On 30 Sinn Féin MEP Martina Anderson hosted a 30-strong delegation in Brussels of family members, Lawyers, Pat Finucane Centre ( PfC), Relatives for Justice (RfJ) and campaign groups to meet MEPs and relate `first hand experiences of British State Collusion in the murders of citizens in Ireland’
Ms Anderson said the MEPs `heard how British Government Agents acted with impunity and the government itself actively suppressed the truth about its involvement in the Conflict in Ireland… [and] granted Public Interest Immunity Certificates (PIIC) as a means of suppressing and preventing evidence being presented in open Court and Coroners Inquests’. She said under the Inquiries Act `this ensured secrecy around British State Collusion and de facto immunity for its agents’, adding `this policy was clearly evident in the murders of Human Rights Lawyer Pat Finucane and Donegal Sinn Féin Councillor Eddie Fullerton’
She said that in many cases, `collusion was planned, authorised and endorsed at the highest level of the British Government’. Those in attendance represented families and spokespersons on behalf of those bereaved in the Ballymurphy Massacre, Kelly’s Bar in Whiterock area of Belfast, the Newlodge Six, Sean Graham Bookies, Loughinisland, the Shankill UVF killings, Pat Finucane, the Hooded men, Justice for the Forgotten highlighting the Dublin & Monaghan bombing and Sinn Féin Cllr Eddie Fullerton.
She said that the families of those who were victims of collusion were `not asking for favours, they are requiring the British State to discharge its legal obligation under EU articles and international law’. She said it was `unacceptable’ that the British Government was in breach of its legal obligation to discharge its Article 2 duties, and also `appalling that Eddie Fullerton’s family have to take the Irish Government to Court on its breach of Article 2 in relation to Eddie’s death, because the Irish State did not carry out a proper investigation into his murder – nor has it pursued the British Government for information in its possession just as it has failed to do in the case of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings’.
She added, `the European Court of Human Rights has already found against the British Government for breaching Article 2 in relation to 12 killings in the North of Ireland – and there are many more to come’.
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