Sinn Fein
The Week in Review
01-07 August 2014

Horrific attacks on Gaza must end
On 6 August Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams TD strongly urged the Taoiseach and the Irish government to `end its silence’ on the bombardment in Gaza and `speak out clearly against’ any actions which undermine the rights of Palestinians or the objective of a peaceful, two-State solution.
Gerry Adams said the ceasefire and negotiations in Cairo were `welcome’, but added `resolving the Israeli/Palestinian conflict is an international responsibility and unless it uses its influence positively, the region will revert to conflict’. He added `the international community must uphold international law and defend rights of the Palestinian people’.
The Irish peace process was, Mr Adams said `held up as a model for conflict resolution the world over’. However, he said the stance of the Irish Government throughout the recent conflict `has been marked by shameful silence, inaction, and when it came to voting at the UN Human Rights Council – abstention’.
He said the `relevance and credibility of our political institutions have been undermined by the Taoiseach’s refusal to reconvene the Dáil to discuss the Gaza crisis’.

Irish government told: `end silence’
Mr Adams said the Irish Government `must stop its policy of hiding behind the EU on this issue and speak out in its own right’. The Taoiseach and the Minister for Foreign Affairs `must demand that the Israeli Government halt the expansion of illegal settlements on Palestinian lands and lift the unjust and inhumane blockade of Gaza’, he added.
He concluded: `the Government needs to encourage the EU to take measures aimed at getting the Israeli Government to end all actions which undermine the rights of the Palestinian people or which threaten a peaceful, two-state solution.’
Earlier on 3 August Mr Adams reiterated calls for the Irish Government to `stand up against the aggression of the Israeli Government and for the human rights of the population of Gaza’ following yet a further deadly attack on a UN school.
Gerry Adams said the shelling of the school in Rafah was `the latest in a series of horrific attacks perpetrated against the civilian population of Gaza’. He said that the world could `cannot stand by while defenceless men, women and children continue to be attacked and murdered in their homes, in hospitals, in play grounds, on the beach, and in UN schools’.
He again urged the Taoiseach `speak out against very clearly against the attempted destruction of Gaza and its people’. He added `the Dáil should be recalled immediately so that TDs can express their views on the situation in Gaza and so that we can challenge the current stance of the Irish Government.’

`Lets go forward to an Ireland of Equals’
On 3 August the National Hunger Strike Commemoration was held in Derrylin, Fermanagh. At the event, which was also addressed by the Palestinian Ambassador to Ireland, Sinn Féin MP Michelle Gildernew made the keynote speech.
Ms Gildernew said those marching remembered `with pride the indomitable spirit and strength of the blanket men of the H Blocks and the women in Armagh prison’ and `the courage of the ten H-Block hunger strikers’, which was `a tipping point in Irish history’.
She said it was `entirely appropriate that we have with us today the Palestinian Ambassador to Ireland, Ahmad Abdelrazek’, adding `no one can ignore nor fail to be moved by the slaughter of innocents taking place in Gaza at the hands of the Israeli military.
She said that `opportunities for political progress and peace have been squandered by successive Israeli governments hungry for Palestinian land and water and determined to ensure that Palestinians remain fractured, impoverished and too weak to challenge Israeli aggression’. She said that Gaza was `an open, over crowded prison, with little work, widespread poverty, and an economy and society under siege’. Powerful governments of the world had `stood back and time after time excused Israeli actions, proclaiming that Israel has the right to defend itself’.
She called for a `very clear message today from this march and rally that the vast majority of the Irish people reject the aggression of Israel and support the Palestinian people in their struggle for freedom and justice and national rights’.
On recent political developments, Ms Gildernew said that, almost 100 years after 1916, 33 years on from the Hunger Strike and 20 years on from the first IRA cessation, `Sinn Féin stands stronger, bigger, more confident and more able to advance our key political objectives of ending partition and of uniting Ireland’ and received more votes than any other political party in Ireland.
There are unionists who will never accept my narrative of 1981 or indeed of the conflict or the causes of it.
On today’s march, she said that unionist leaders had sought to `sectarianise’ it, but that they made the mistake of `asserting a single narrative of the conflict’, when there were different narratives. She added, `we will only get to the truth by laying all of these narratives side by side and not by ignoring or seeking to dominate and exclude others’.
She went on to talk about current developments and that recent months had seen a `coalescing of political unionism around negative and an anti-Agreement position’. She added that meanwhile `the British and Irish governments became so disengaged from the process that the Haass compromise proposals and their potential to unlock the logjam was denied’.
The British Secretary of State had, she said `pandered to political unionism and undermined the political process’, adding `that has to change’.
She said the British and Irish governments `must stand by the Good Friday and subsequent agreements’ and that while unionism as created `an axis to oppose the Good Friday Agreement’ those who support it, including the governments, `need to build a pro-Agreement axis’.
She concluded by asserting Sinn Fein’s core belief in `an island of equals’.
The full text of the speech can be found here.

Sinn Fein oppose `Thatcherite’ welfare cuts
On 7 August Sinn Féin Assembly Member Daithí McKay criticized Justice Minister David Ford for linking allocations from the June Monitoring round to efforts to impose Tory welfare cuts.
The Sinn Féin economy spokesperson said that Sinn Fein were `opposed to Thatcherite welfare cuts which would drive more people into poverty in the North’.
However, he added `David Ford is wrong in his claim that reductions to his budget in the June Monitoring Round are linked to these Tory proposals for drastic welfare cuts. The welfare cuts issue was not an issue in the June monitoring round’.
He added, `It did however, take place against a backdrop of financial difficulties caused by the British government cutting budgets here by billions over recent years and an overspend by some departments.’
He said there were two issues: `The first is the failure of the British government to provide the necessary funding and the second is the inability of some ministers to properly manage their departmental finances.’
He concluded: `David Ford needs to assess his priorities and ensure the provision of frontline essential services.’

Kelly condemns Duncairn Gardens pipe bomb
On 5 August Sinn Féin Assembly Member Gerry Kelly condemned those behind a pipe bomb attack in North Belfast.
Mr Kelly said the area was `disrupted as people had to be evacuated from their homes and places of work’ and was in a built up area.
He added that `thankfully the device did not explode and no one was injured but we could have been looking at a very serious situation here if it had exploded’.
He said it appeared to be `the work of anti-peace process loyalists who seem intent on disrupting efforts to build bridges and develop communities’.
He concluded: `Those responsible have absolutely nothing to offer society and need to call an immediate halt to these kind of actions.’

Sinn Féin will oppose fracking – Gerry Adams TD
On 4 August Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams TD visited an anti-fracking camp at Belcoo in Fermanagh.
The Sinn Féin leader was accompanied by Fermanagh South Tyrone MP Michelle Gildernew; Michael Coleavy Sligo/north Leitrim TD, Sandra McLellan Cork East TD and Phil Flannagan MLA.
Gerry Adams said that fracking was `a significant and dangerous threat to our countryside and to the environment. It can cause serious environmental pollution and damage fish stocks and livestock’.
He said it was `an unsafe method of energy production’ which `poses a very real risk to the success of our farming industry, and to the health and safety of rural communities, as well as undermining our tourism industry’.
He added that fracking was not the answer to the energy needs of the island of Ireland `and the farmers of Fermanagh have given a lead by signing a pledge that they will not allow fracking on their land’.
Renewable sources of energy `must remain the main focus for the future’, he said, added `tidal, hydro, wind and biomass all have the potential to satisfy Ireland and Europe’s energy demands.’
Commenting on the drilling of a borehole near Belcoo the Sinn Féin leader said there was `widespread public concern at this move which has been heightened by the Department of Enterprise Trade and Investment’s decision to award the licence without any public debate’.
He said the environment Minister should be `the first line of defense against fracking and he must ensure that Tamboran’s borehole is subject to a full and rigorous planning process, including a statutory environmental impact assessment’.
He concluded: `the people in that area need to be consulted about this borehole and to be given every piece of information available. If any application is made for fracking Sinn Féin will be bringing it to the Executive to oppose it.’

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