Sinn Fein
The Week in Review
17-24 July 2014

McGuinness calls for parties to `show leadership’ and return to the table
On 22 September Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness urged all of the political parties in the north to `return to talks’.
Earlier, he had met British secretary of state Theresa Villiers. Mr McGuinness said it was important that everyone `show leadership’ and that all parties needed to `come back to the table to find a way forward on all the remaining issues around parading, flags and dealing with the past’.
In relation to parading, he said it was Sinn Fein’s view `that the integrity of the Parades’ Commission should protected and defended’.
He added, `we are passionate about getting a resolution to this issue and to do that we all have to work collectively and all the relevant stakeholders need to be involved’.
He concluded that this would require political leaders `to show the necessary leadership and get back to the table with a view to resolving these issues.’

All-party talks `must recommence’
British and Irish governments must be `champions for the political process’
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams last week said the publication of the Hallett report `makes it imperative that all of the political parties recommit themselves as quickly as possible to recommence the suspended all-party talks.’
Mr Adams was speaking at a meeting of the Sinn Féin National Officer Board attended by senior party regional representatives across the island, which reviewed the post-July 12th situation in the north; the Hallett report, all-island opposition to austerity cuts and the recent Cabinet reshuffle by An Taoiseach.
The Sinn Féin leader said that while the July 12th orange marches passed without major incident `there remains a serious crisis within the political institutions with unionist leaders refusing to engage positively to resolve the outstanding issues of legacy, flags and symbols and parades’.
He said the publication of the Hallett Report made it `imperative that all of the political parties recommit themselves as quickly as possible to recommence the suspended all-party talks’.
He added that the key to making progress in the time ahead was for the Irish and British governments `to become champions for the political process’. That, he said meant `unequivocally stating their determination to honour outstanding commitments from the Good Friday Agreement and other agreements, and to make clear to political unionism that they will not block progress’.
Mr Adams said there was `a responsibility on the two governments to enhance the political context for agreement by providing clear and positive leadership’ and `a particular onus on the Cameron government which has been explicitly partisan in promoting a unionist agenda’. The difficulties caused by this had, he added, `been deepened by the British government’s attempts to impose welfare cuts on the Executive in outright conflict with the agreed Programme for Government’.
He concluded: `Unless this is opposed by a united Executive these cuts, driven by the Tory austerity ideology, will inflict even more punishment on people with disabilities, the working poor, senior citizens, women and children.’

Sinn Fein in London to highlight concerns on welfare cuts
On 16-17 July Sinn Fein MP Pat Doherty was in Westminster to speak to a number of MPs about Sinn Féin’s concerns about the damaging effect of Tory-proposed welfare cuts. Mr Doherty also briefed Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State Ivan Lewis on a range of issues presently frustrating the political process.
Mr Doherty said the visit was to raise Sinn Féin’s `growing concerns over the insistence of the British government to implement its austerity agenda in the North’. Sinn Fein had been `consistently clear in our opposition to austerity and the so-called welfare reform program’, which, he said had `already seen disastrous consequences for living standards in Britain’.
He questioned why any other party in the Executive `would wish to introduce such a problematic system’, adding `what is required is the fiscal autonomy to determine our own economic model based on the specific circumstances pertaining in the North of Ireland’.
He said the functions of the Executive and Assembly `cannot simply be about implementing British Tory-led government policies’ and concluded that Sinn Fein would continue to oppose austerity and cuts, which `damage public services, undermine the welfare state, increase levels of child poverty and hinder economic recovery’.

Labour MP’s comments underline welfare cuts damage
On 23 July, Sinn Fein MP Michelle Gildernew welcomed remarks made by British Labour MP John McDonnell who was speaking during a Back Bench recess debate in the House of Common. Mr McDonnell had raised concern over attempts by the British government ‘to impose their welfare reform legislation’ on the people of the north of Ireland.
Michelle Gildernew said that John McDonnell’s were welcome, in highlighting of the negative effects of the Tory coalition welfare cuts policies, already implemented in Britain, as a “disaster” with serious “adverse consequences” for ordinary people.
She said that during regular contacts with MPs from Britain she had `heard at first hand the dire consequences of measures contained in the Welfare Reform Bill’. John McDonnell was, she added `right to point out the growing concerns from Sinn Féin and others about the effect of having these cuts imposed on us’. Mr McDonnell had pointed to severe hardship ‘especially the most vulnerable — children and people with disabilities’.
Ms Gildernew said the comments also reflected `widespread dismay at the British government’s response to those of us who object to and resent the threat to impose fines on the Assembly executive if we do not acquiesce in the Tory demand that we rubber stamp their agenda of cuts’.
She said that the threats of graduated fines were seen as `a blatant act of political blackmail by the British treasury’.
John McDonnell’s comments that `the proposals threaten not just to impose a significantly harsh welfare regime on the people of Northern Ireland, but to undermine the whole concept of devolved government’, were, she added, `absolutely right’.
She concluded `Given the evidence of the negative affect of these cuts in Britain, this is not a theoretical debate. The effects of these Tory welfare cuts will cause serious hardship to the people we represent from all communities and we will continue to oppose them.’ She said Sinn Fein would `continue to work with like-minded people and groups in Britain and in the South to fight the austerity agenda of the Conservative led governments in both London and Dublin. We will be resolute in defending the living standards of ordinary people across Ireland.’

Dáil stands in solidarity with people of Gaza – Gerry Adams
Last week the Dail stood in a minutes silence in solidarity with the people of Gaza, at the proposal of Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams.
Mr Adams had earlier expressed his ‘deep disappointment’ at the rejection by the Irish government of a request by Sinn Féin for a special Dáil debate on the Israeli assault on Gaza.
At the end of the debate, Mr Adams said he had `called for the Dáil to stand for a minutes silence in solidarity with the people of Gaza’, adding `I very much welcome the positive response to this.’
Mr Adams said the Tánaiste’s refusal to allow a debate on Gaza was `shameful’. He said that `the Israeli assault on this besieged community is an act of collective punishment against a civilian population which has left 200 people, mostly civilians and children dead and many more injured’.
He added that the Palestinian people `have been robbed of their land, imprisoned by separation walls and borders into ghettoes, Gaza has been under siege for 7 years and they have little power or influence’. Israel `by comparison is a first world, highly developed, rich and heavily armed super-state with nuclear weapons’.

Expel Israeli Ambassador – Adams
On 23 July Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams reiterated his call for the Irish government to expel the Israeli Ambassador,following another day of Israeli attacks on the civilian population in Gaza.
The Sinn Féin leader also accused the Irish government of `political cowardice in abstaining today in a vote during an emergency debate at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva which seeks to establish an international Commission of Inquiry into allegations of war crimes.’
Mr. Adams said that almost 700 Palestinians had now been killed `in 15 days of intense attacks by Israel by land, sea and air’, adding `according to the United Nations 74% of those killed by Israel have been civilians. Homes, hospitals and schools, including buildings housing refugees, have been bombed by Israel’.
He said that one hospital `was bombed four times and four people were killed and scores of people were injured’. Thirty of the wounded were medics. He said the Israeli assault on the civilian population `is in clear contravention of international law’.
He said this view was `widely acknoweldged internationally and was evident in the course of today’s debate at the United Nations Human Rights Council meeting. To its shame the Irish government abstained’.
He concluded: `The Irish government needs to take a clear stand in support of the civilian population of Gaza and send a clear message to the Israeli government that its actions will not be tolerated. This can best be achieved by expelling the Israeli Ambassador.’
Earlier, on 19 July Gerry Adams TD had called for a `diplomatic offensive’ by the Irish Government to encourage the Government of Israel to `end its military onslaught against the civilian population in the Gaza Strip’.
Referring to a 2009 fact finding mission Mr Adams had made to Gaza, he said he had published a report which proposed nine immediate steps to help resolve the conflict. They were:

1. All armed actions and acts of violence should cease.
2. An inclusive process of negotiation should commence in which all democratic mandates are respected, clear objectives are set, and there is a fixed timeframe.
3. The building of the separation wall should stop as a first step which would see its demolition.
4. The siege of the Gaza strip should end.
5. An immediate and intensive programme of reconstruction and economic development must commence.
6. The ongoing Israeli colonisation of the West Bank and the building of settlements should stop.
7. The occupation of the West Bank and the denial of freedom of movement to Palestinians in the West Bank and in the Gaza strip, and between the West Bank and Gaza, should end as part of the process to decolonise the West Bank.
8. Mutual and expeditious co-operation between Palestinians and Israelis to enhance public safety and security should commence.
9. UN resolutions and international law should be enforced.

Mr Adams said, `Five years later, none of these steps have been taken and the situation has deteriorated once again’.
He said the decision by the Israeli Government, `in the face of international anger, to escalate its military offensive by launching a ground offensive requires a firm and resolute response by the Irish Government, which must now expel the Israeli Ambassador’.

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