Sinn Fein
The Week in Review
07 – 14 October 2016

Budget 2017 straight out of the Fianna Fáil playbook – Gerry Adams TD
Gerry Adams TD, speaking during Statements on the Budget in the Dáil on Thursday afternoon, said that Budget 2017 was a package straight out of the Fianna Fáil playbook. Mr Adams said the Budget will not contribute to a recovery where no community or citizen is left behind.
Teachta Adams said: “Budget 2017 is a budget straight out of the Fianna Fáil playbook; a little bit for everyone in the audience – some spending here, tax cuts there and a subsidy for property speculators and developers. Remember Micheál Martin’s claim that the election, and I quote, ‘represented an overwhelming rejection of the Fine Gael-Labour government, its policies and its hyper political behaviour.’ Fianna Fáil then U-turned and put Enda Kenny back into power, as did the Independent Alliance.”
The Sinn Féin President continued, “It wasn’t the only U-turn. In the past few months, Fianna Fáil have U-turned on stated policy positions in respect of bin charge hikes, on the national monument in Moore Street, on opposing banded-hours contracts, on introducing rent certainty and on NAMA; and of course on the issue of water charges.”
Mr Adams stated that Sinn Féin’s alternative budget “was economically prudent and grounded in the Republican ideals of equality and fairness. Our proposals would have reduced the high cost of living facing families and citizens.”
Mr Adams reiterated Sinn Féin’s commitment to “build a recovery where no community is left behind and no citizen is left behind. Yesterday’s budget didn’t do that.”

Martin McGuinness tells EU leaders that Remain vote must be respected
Joint First Minister Martin McGuinness has said that it is vital to continue to build European support for the campaign to have the remain vote of the people of the North of Ireland respected.
Speaking after a series of meetings with EU leaders and senior MEPs in Brussels, Mr McGuinness said; “I had a series of constructive meetings today with EU leaders and senior MEPs from across Europe at the European Parliament in Brussels to discuss the potential impact of Brexit on the island of Ireland. Among those we met were MEPs who will lead the European Parliament’s negotiating team, including Guy Verhofstadt, the Parliament’s chief negotiator, in the upcoming Brexit negotiations.”
Mr McGuinness continued, “I urged them to support the people of the North, the majority of whom voted to remain in the EU and to recognise the unique circumstances of the North and of the entire island of Ireland. We also met with EU Commissioner Phil Hogan and impressed on him the onus on the Irish government to represent the best interests of Irish citizens throughout the island.”
Mr McGuinness noted the key role the EU played in supporting the peace process over several decades and said that he was “encouraged by the level of knowledge and understanding of our situation in the North and by the willingness of the EU leaders I met to consider options, which would see the remain vote of the majority of the North being respected.”
Mr McGuinness concluded, “We will continue our engagements with EU leaders and others across Europe to ensure the democratic will of the people of the North is recognised.”

Time to end Shannon shame – Senator Paul Gavan
Sinn Féin Senator Paul Gavan, speaking as a guest of the Stop the War Coalition Conference in London on 8th October, said that it is time to end the shame of Shannon Airport being used as a forward base for US wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria.
Addressing the conference, Senator Gavan said; “Irish people are proud of our status as a neutral country- opinion polls consistently show that they want Ireland to retain it’s neutrality. But something has gone very wrong for the last 15 years. Successive Irish governments have decided to facilitate the US military with the use of Shannon Airport, with over 2.5 million US troops having passed through Shannon in the last decade and a half.This is an obvious and flagrant abuse of our state policy as a neutral country.”
Senator Gavan noted that the human cost of the invasion and occupation of Iraq is estimated to be in excess of one million deaths, with up to five million people displaced from their homes.
Senator Gavan stated that successive Irish Governments have “turned a blind eye to the practice of rendition, the transferring of prisoners to so-called third countries for interrogation and torture, a clear breach of our Human Rights Law.”
Senator Gavan concluded that, “It’s time to end the shame of Shannon, time to end US military use of our civilian airport, time we got our airport, and our respect as a neutral country back.”

Dialogue key to ending Syrian conflict – Caitríona Ruane MLA
Sinn Féin MLA Caitríona Ruane said inclusive dialogue is needed to help bring the Syrian conflict to an end.
Ms Ruane said: “What is unfolding in Syria is a humanitarian disaster. Last week alone 376 people were killed, half of them were children, some 1266 were injured and many hospitals were destroyed.”
Ms Ruane continued, “Civilians are besieged, under full military encirclement, without humanitarian supplies, without freedom to leave areas like Aleppo. The UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura has said the suspension of bilateral discussions between the US and Russia on a cessation of hostilities was a serious setback. If we can learn anything from our peace process here in Ireland and I am not for one minute equating the conflicts as every conflict is different, it is that there should be inclusive dialogue. All sides need to bear responsibility for their actions, hostilities need to be brought to an immediate end and all sides need to recognise the ceasefire.”
Ms Ruane paid tribute to the international aid workers “who are trying to do everything they can to get badly needed supplies into worst hit areas and save lives.”

Britain waives the rules – Chris Hazzard MLA
Sinn Féin MLA Chris Hazzard has said the Irish Sea should become a submarine free zone to end the risk they pose to fishing crews.
Speaking after inspectors confirmed that a British Navy submarine endangered the lives to the crew on ‘The Karen’, Mr Hazzard said: “Sinn Féin want to see an end to British military activity in Ireland in all its forms. The confirmation by the British Ministry of Defence that a Royal Navy submarine was involved in dragging a trawler off the Down coast raises serious questions. The British Government and the British Ministry of Defence should end its submarine activity in the Irish Sea to avoid similar incidents in the future. The lives of local fishermen were put at risk. It was only the quick thinking of the crew who cut the landing gear free that prevented the trawler from sinking and killing those on board. Our fishermen deserve to be able to work in an environment where they don’t have to worry about military submarines sinking their boats.”

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