Sinn Féin MLA Cathy Mason has said the Assembly must be restored now to help cut school costs for families.
Speaking after meeting with school principals today with party colleague Danny Baker MLA, Cathy Mason said:
“Sinn Féin want to legislate to make school uniforms more affordable and help cut back school costs for families.
“Today, we met with school principals on the pressures facing families over the holidays and ahead of schools returning in September, particularly as the cost of living crisis continues to bite.
“Despite these pressures, savage Tory cuts to education, particularly affecting our most vulnerable school children, have continued. Tens of thousands of children and families have been left without vital holiday hunger payments this summer.
“Children, families and our schools need the Assembly and Executive formed now so that parties can work together to protect our public services and progress legislation to help cut back school costs for families.
“That is the clear message coming from our schools, and I once again urge the DUP to end its blockade on the Executive and stop holding up this important work.”
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Housing Eoin Ó Broin TD has said that the updated defective concrete block remediation scheme that opens today will leave many homeowners behind.
The Dublin Mid-West TD said that 'Sinn Féin will be monitoring the updated scheme closely and will continue to work with homeowners and tenants to improve the scheme further.'
Deputy Ó Broin said:
"The legislation underpinning the revised defective concrete block remediation scheme was deficient. It was rushed through the Oireachtas in June 2022 and over eighty amendments proposed by affected homeowners in Donegal, Mayo and Clare were rejected by the government.
"Despite a clear promise by Darragh O’Brien that the updated scheme would be open by the end of 2022, it has taken them a full year to get the scheme up and running.
"While the changes to the scheme will provide much needed relief for some affected homeowners, we believe that it will leave many homeowners and tenants behind.
"It does not provide 100% redress. It does not provide retrospective redress. It does not include foundations impacted by pyrrhotite, and IS 465 - the industry standard underpinning the original scheme - remains in place. This standard has been undermined by the emerging scientific evidence and has resulted in large number of applications for funding being stalled and it is likely that this will continue in the revised scheme. The damage threshold cannot be used as a barrier to access the scheme.
"It is also not clear whether the local authorities have been given adequate resources and IT systems to process the new applications in a timely manner.
"Minister O’Brien has also yet to set out how he intends to address the issue of defective blocks in a very significant number of social homes owned by Local Authorities and Approved Housing Bodies.
"Sinn Féin will study the detail of the regulations in the coming days. We will also be closely monitoring the implementation of the scheme.
"We look forward to hearing from affected homeowners, the Department of Housing and Local Authorities at an Oireachtas Housing Committee meeting on the scheme scheduled to take place on Thursday, 13th July.
"Sinn Féin remains convinced that the flaws in the underlying legislation must be addressed to ensure that no homeowner or tenant is left behind. We will be publishing amending legislation over the Summer, following consultation with affected homeowners, to address these very serious concerns."
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Health, David Cullinane TD, has said that the current shortage of Novo Nordisk’s Fiasp insulin vials, and the company’s warning about potential shortages across a range of its insulin products, is causing great concern among many families.
The Waterford TD said that the company’s early notification was a step in the right direction, but that more proactive surveillance of potential shortages is needed to give people certainty and reassurance that alternatives will be available.
He added that the supply of other products, such as HRT, is very limited and medicine shortages are likely to worsen in the coming months.
Teachta Cullinane said:
“I have heard from many people with diabetes, including worried parents, who are concerned about the continuity of insulin supply.
“Some are telling me that they have their supply but are concerned about future access, others are saying their pharmacist does not have the alternatives in stock.
“The current shortage of Novo Nordisk’s Fiasp insulin vials, and their warning about potential shortages across a range of its insulin products, is causing great concern among many families.
“The company’s early notification is a step in the right direction but more proactive surveillance of potential shortages is needed to give people certainty and reassurances that alternatives will be available.
“People with diabetes who are facing difficulties accessing the products they need must have ready access to a GP or diabetes specialists to ensure they get the right alternative.
“There must be proactive engagement with pharmacists to ensure they have a supply of appropriate alternatives.
“There are currently hundreds of products in short supply, and the list has been growing each month this year. This is part of a wider shortage of essential medicines which will continue due to global supply constraints.
“However, this is also a consequence of a failure in planning and in industrial development policy. Global shortages play a role, but these have been known for some time and have been coming down the tracks. Government has not reacted.
“We are likely to face a similar problem with HRT, as we did last year. We can see this happening already in other jurisdictions due to rapidly increasing demand.
“Government needs to be taking steps now to be prepared for when that happens. That includes incentivising domestic production as well as planning ahead for demand.
“There are also many products in short supply which could be substituted without placing additional burdens on GPs for changes to prescriptions, but pharmacists have not been empowered to do this.
"Government must legislate for serious shortage protocols to put pharmacists in the best possible position to tackle complications related to shortages as they arise.
“A proactive, strategic, and long-term government-led response is needed to ensure that the state is resilient when it comes to medicine shortages.”
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Defence, Matt Carthy TD, has described a Tory Bill seeking to ban local authorities and public bodies in Britain and the north of Ireland from conducting Palestinian solidarity measures as ‘callous and counterproductive’.
Introduced by leading Brexiter, Michael Gove, the Bill is today set to go through its second reading in the House of Commons.
Teachta Carthy said:
“The British government must not succeed in the banning of solidarity measures with the Palestinian people.
“The elected members of local authorities have the right to choose who they do business with, and especially to ensure that public monies for which they have oversight of are not spent supporting what is internationally recognised as an illegal occupation.
“Only today Israel has begun what has been described as the largest military operation in the Palestinian territories in years with reports suggesting the involvement of up to 2,000 troops, and that at least seven Palestinians have been killed already.
“International pressure is required to end Israeli aggression. The proposed legislation introduced by leading Brexiter, Michael Gove, is callous and counterproductive. It will send a message to Israel that it can continue to disregard international law. Rather than preferential trade treatment for Israel, governments and local authorities must be holding the regime to account.
“This is why Sinn Féin recently introduced the Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill 2023 which would mandate the Irish government to divest from companies which derive profits from the Occupied Territories.
“Sinn Féin for our part will continue to show solidarity and support to the Palestinian people, regardless of any Tory attempts to ban such practices.”
Cavan Monaghan Sinn Féin TD, Matt Carthy, has said that government must finally implement the motions, adopted by both houses of the Oireachtas, which called for the establishment of an independent inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of Shane O’Farrell, and the actions of state agencies before and after his killing.
Shane, a 23-year-old Carrickmacross man, was killed in a hit and run on 2nd August 2011 by Zigimantas Gridziuska, a known criminal who had breached several bail conditions at the time and had 42 previous convictions in three different jurisdictions. Serious questions have been raised regarding Garda interactions with Gridziuska and various decisions of several state bodies, including the courts and the Director of Public Prosecutions.
In 2018, the Dáil supported a motion calling for the establishment of a public inquiry. Instead, the then government organised a scoping exercise by former Judge Gerard Haughton.
On RTÉ’s Primetime last Thursday, extracts of former Judge Haughton’s report were revealed, although the full report has not yet been published.
Deputy Carthy said that there must be an independent public inquiry into the case.
Teachta Carthy said:
“Shane O’Farrell was failed by the state. The person who killed him should have been imprisoned at the time of his killing.
“Shane’s family have been failed by the state at every juncture since. Serious questions have been levelled at Gardaí, the Department of Justice, the Courts Service and the Director of Public Prosecutions.
“A lengthy GSOC investigation failed to answer those questions. In fact, the GSOC report on Shane’s case was significant primarily for its omissions. So much so, that both Houses of the Oireachtas passed resolutions calling for an Independent Public Inquiry into the case.
“Rather than delivering that, the Fine Gael government initiated a ‘scoping exercise’ in early 2019 – for which the report has still not been published. f extracts of the report revealed on RTÉ’s Primetime are indicative, it seems that the only outworking of that exercise was to further delay the full truth in this case from emerging and to exacerbate the hurt and pain of the O’Farrell family.
“A full independent inquiry must be initiated without any further delay. The person solely responsible for Shane O’Farrell’s death was Zigimantas Gridziuska, a known criminal who should have been imprisoned and who should not have been on the road at the time.
“There have been enough delaying mechanisms. The questions that this case has raised are too important to ignore.
“I will be using every opportunity available in the Dáil to challenge the Minister for Justice to do the right thing and establish the public inquiry which both houses of the Oireachtas had called for.”
Sinn Féin TD for Wicklow, John Brady, has welcomed an announcement that the UN database of business enterprises involved in certain activities, relating to illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, has been updated by the UN today.
The UN database was set up by the UN Human Rights Council in 2020 following a UN resolution in 2016.
Teachta Brady said:
"In May of this year, I brought forward legislation in the Dáil at second stage designed to compel the Irish Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) to divest its investments in companies contained in the database.
"Rather than support the Sinn Féin Bill, government opted to bring forward an amendment in an attempt to kick the it down the road for nine months. They said this was to allow for a review of the legislation as they did not view the database as a live document, arguing that it was not capable of being updated.
“This development blows the governments arguments out of the water. The 2020 report by the UN identified 112 business entities which it had reasonable grounds to believe were involved in specific activities identified in the Human Rights Council resolution at the UN.
"Although the resolution called for annual updating of the database, no resources were provided for this purpose. But companies continued to work with the UN, engaging regularly with the HRC and seeking their removal from the database.
"In an attempt to scupper the legislation, which was supported by Irish and international NGO’s, along with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, the government framed their opposition within a spurious argument relating to supposed inability of companies to have their names removed from the database.
"Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill argued that the database did not have a clear basis for amending the information on it. And that companies could not have their data removed even if they changed their investment strategy. Minister Carroll MacNeill erroneously contended that this impacted on the operationality of the Bill.
"I argued at the time that this was a fallacy - that the database was a live document, and was one which could be continually amended and updated.
"Continuing engagement and dialogue between the UN and business entities on the database has led to the removal of 15 business enterprises from the database as they have either no longer or were in the process of ceasing their involvement in listed activities in the occupied Palestinian territories.
"Of the 15 business entities named today as being removed from the database, one entity, General Mills was on the original list of business entities which the ISIF had invested in. This leaves eight remaining business entities which were impacted by the legislation, which ISIF remain invested in.
"Ireland led out in opposition to apartheid South Africa in the 1980s. That the current government now seeks to manoeuvre to continue to allow the ISIF to maintains its investments in business entities linked to the illegal Israeli settlements, is not only morally repugnant, but also has the effect of making the Irish taxpayer a stakeholder in international war crimes.
"From the outset I have attempted to meet with the Minister for Finance to discuss the legislation, in order to ensure that the government does not get away with burying the Bill in order to avoid having to address what is a key moral issue for the state.
"Developments regarding the UN database render the government's supposed concerns irrelevant, and I am calling for the government to revoke its opposition to the Sinn Féin legislation, which will remove the stain of Irish involvement in war crimes.”
Sinn Féin’s Chris Hazzard MP has welcomed the completion of a major cross-border scheme to improve water quality in Carlingford Lough as "the perfect platform" to restore and regenerate the lough’s delicate ecosystem.
The South Down MP was invited to the new Warrenpoint Wastewater Treatment Plant by NIWater to see the new facility and learn more about the positive impact of the EU funded ‘Shared Waters Enhancement & Loughs Legacy’ (SWELL) project.
Mr Hazzard said:
“SWELL has been a major success, and again demonstrates the importance of cross-border cooperation in protecting and enhancing our local environment and improving water quality for those living in the Carlingford Lough area.
“As an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty; a National Heritage Area; Special Area of Conservation; and a designated 'Shellfish Water’ area, Carlingford Lough is one of Ireland’s most beautiful, but environmentally vulnerable watercourses.
“So the completion of this €35million EU funded project is the perfect platform to restore and regenerate the lough’s delicate ecosystem; which will soon receive a further boost with the completion of a new Wastewater Treatment Plant in Omeath to end the discharge of over 800 wheelie bins of untreated wastewater into Carlingford Lough per day.
Mr Hazzard added:
“Significantly the success of SWELL is much broader than merely the new physical infrastructure on the shores of the lough; but we now have the tools to help target investment in the future as SWELL has provided an evidence based soil-to-sea ecosystem modelling toolbox, allowing environmental managers and regulators on both sides of Carlingford Lough to make the right decisions in restoring and regenerating Carlingford Lough’s water quality.”
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Finance, Pearse Doherty TD, has said the government must honour its commitment to fund 50% of the proposed upgrade to the A5 road.
Speaking ahead of a Sinn Féin Dáil motion on the issue, he said that the A5 upgrade is critical to prevent further lives from being lost, and to enhance the social and economic wellbeing of the North West region.
Teachta Doherty said:
“It is time to build the A5 road with no more delays. Far too many families have lost loved ones on this dangerous road - more than 50 people have died since 2006, with ten deaths between October 2021 and October 2022 alone.
“The A5 upgrade was first announced in 2007 in order to transform a dangerous single-lane road into a much safer dual carriageway but 16 years on we are still waiting.
“We cannot wait any longer. We must act to save lives and protect families from further heartbreak.
“The A5 route is important infrastructure linking north and south - a major route for those living and working in the border counties and right across the North West.
“On Tuesday, Sinn Féin will move a motion in the Dáil calling on the government to honour its commitment to fund 50% of the cost of the A5 upgrade, as committed to as past of the St Andrews agreement, so that it is commenced and completed as quickly as possible.
“This would save lives and create jobs as well as enhancing the social and economic wellbeing of the North West region.
“The government must also take all necessary steps to ensure that the Ten-T Road upgrade projects for Donegal, connecting to the A5 and related N2 upgrades receive approval and are delivered as speedily as possible.
“There can be no more delays, and no more lives lost. It is time to build the A5 road.”
Sinn Féin’s motion can be read here.
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Housing, Eoin Ó Broin TD, has said that homeless numbers are rising in the absence of an emergency response from the government.
His comments were made as the May homeless report from the Department of Housing showed significant increases in all categories of officially recorded homelessness.
Teachta Ó Broin said:
“The latest report from the Department of Housing shows that in May all categories of officially recorded homelessness have increased significantly.
“While the Department's monthly report does not capture the true extent of homelessness, it gives us a clear indication of the growing housing and homeless crisis.
“Last month, the total number of people in the Department of Housing-funded emergency accommodation was 12,441, including 3,699 children. That is an increase of 77 adults and 105 children on April’s figures.
“May also saw an increase in single person and family homelessness with 37 more families and 22 more singles in emergency accommodation in the previous month.
“The annual increase in homeless levels is a staggering 20% and for children the increase is 22% over the last 12 months.
“Rising levels of homelessness is the direct result of government’s failure to put in place an emergency response to what continues to be an ever-growing humanitarian crisis.
“We have been urging the Minister for Housing to put in place an emergency response for over a year now.
“Such a response would include suspending planning and procurement powers to deliver additional social and affordable housing using modular building technologies and vacant properties; increasing and accelerating the social and cost rental tenant-in-situ scheme; and crucially restoring the ban on no fault evictions until the number of adults and children in emergency accommodation start to fall.
“This government is not taking this homeless crisis seriously. No Minister in modern times has presided over such a high and ever rising level of adult and child homelessness. It is clear they do not have the political will to tackle this crisis and both reduce and end long-term homelessness.”
Sinn Féin MLA Declan Kearney has said that the DUP's ongoing boycott of the assembly is in direct opposition to the expressed wishes of the majority of people.
The party's Brexit spokesperson said:
“The most recent polling from Queen's University shows 61 per cent of respondents believe that the Protocol and the Windsor Framework are protecting the north from the worst impacts of Brexit.
“This belief is borne out by the latest economic data showing that while GDP growth in all other regions is lagging, the north's economic output is expanding, with two consecutive quarters of recorded growth, and an expectation that this pattern will continue.
“The Protocol and its Windsor Framework clearly provide the means with which to expand on these growth trends due to the access provided to two of the world's largest markets and the associated competitive advantage.
“This is a time of unprecedented economic and investment potential for the north. The DUP's ongoing recklessness is endangering this opportunity for businesses, workers and families across the north.
“The DUP boycott of the assembly must end immediately so that the potential available through proper implementation of the Protocol and Windsor Framework can be fully realised, and help mitigate the economic and social crisis currently impacting on citizens and public services in the north.”
Sinn Féin MLA Declan Kearney has said that the DUP's ongoing boycott of the assembly is in direct opposition to the expressed wishes of the majority of people.
The party's Brexit spokesperson said:
“The most recent polling from Queen's University shows 61 per cent of respondents believe that the Protocol and the Windsor Framework are protecting the north from the worst impacts of Brexit.
“This belief is borne out by the latest economic data showing that while GDP growth in all other regions is lagging, the north's economic output is expanding, with two consecutive quarters of recorded growth, and an expectation that this pattern will continue.
“The Protocol and its Windsor Framework clearly provide the means with which to expand on these growth trends due to the access provided to two of the world's largest markets and the associated competitive advantage.
“This is a time of unprecedented economic and investment potential for the north. The DUP's ongoing recklessness is endangering this opportunity for businesses, workers and families across the north.
“The DUP boycott of the assembly must end immediately so that the potential available through proper implementation of the Protocol and Windsor Framework can be fully realised, and help mitigate the economic and social crisis currently impacting on citizens and public services in the north.”
Sinn Féin MLA Liz Kimmins has welcomed news that a fresh inquest will be held into the murder of Robert Anderson.
Speaking after a ruling by the Attorney General today, the Newry and Armagh MLA said:
“Today’s announcement that a fresh inquest will finally be held into the murder of Newry man, Robert Anderson in 1971 by the British Army.
“This is the right decision given the clear flaws in the original investigation, including unresolved disputes over the events that took place and the need to properly question military witnesses about the actions of the army on that night.
“Today’s ruling is a testament to the strength, courage and perseverance of Margaret and the wider Anderson family who have campaigned for decades for truth and justice for Robert.
“We will continue to stand with the Anderson family in their efforts to uncover the truth about his murder,
"The British government should scrap its flawed legacy bill which is a cynical and cruel attempt to close the door on families who have a right to truth and justice through access to coronial inquests and Article 2 compliant investigations.
“The legacy mechanisms agreed at Stormont House by the two governments and political parties in 2014 should be implemented in a human rights' compliant manner."
Sinn Féin MLA Caoimhe Archibald has condemned those responsible for a security alert in Hopefield Grove in Portrush which caused chaos for residents.
The East Derry MLA said:
“A number of homes were evacuated after a suspicious object was found in Hopefield Grove, Portrush on Thursday evening.
"This is senseless behaviour that has served only to cause chaos for residents and demonstrates a total disregard for the community.
“Those responsible for these incidents have absolutely nothing to offer our society, it needs to stop now.
“I understand the Police are now treating this incident as a hate crime.
“It is outrageous that anyone would be targeted in this manner because of their ethnicity, religion, gender or sexuality.
“I would urge anyone with any information to bring it forward to the PSNI."
Sinn Féin spokesperson for Public Expenditure and Reform, Rose Conway-Walsh TD, has called on the government to conduct a root and branch review of the governance of state bodies.
Teachta Conway-Walsh said:
“The RTÉ scandal and questions surrounding Horse Racing Ireland, raise serious concerns about the governance of state bodies.
“There are hundreds of commercial and non-commercial state bodies covered by a large body of legislation.
“What ties them all together and provides overarching governance is the ‘Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies’ overseen by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.
“The stated aim of this code of practice is to ensure commercial and non-commercial State bodies meet the highest standards of corporate governance.
“That has clearly not been the case. A culture of secrecy and unaccountability appears to prevail.
“The code of practice sets out the requirements in terms of financial reporting.
“We are ultimately relying on a code of practice rather than established laws.
“I am calling on the Minister to initiate a broad review of the governance framework with the aim of bringing in more robust oversight and accountability.
“People who pay taxes to fund these organisations deserve better and must have confidence that their money is spent responsibly.”
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Enterprise, Trade, and Employment, Louise O’Reilly TD, said strengthening the hand of workers through legislating for collective bargaining "can help tackle the current wave of profit driven inflation".
Speaking this morning, Teachta O’Reilly said:
“The current bout of inflation differs from previous inflationary periods in that it is driven by runaway profits more than wages. This has been reinforced by several domestic and international experts.
“Earlier this year the European Central Bank (ECB) highlighted that corporate profiteering was contributing more to inflation than wages, and last week the Central Bank of Ireland outlined that profits have contributed more to domestic inflation than wages.
“Indeed, earlier this week the International Monetary Fund reported that rising corporate profits accounted for almost half the increase in Europe’s inflation over the past two years, as companies increased prices by more than costs.
“Despite this evidence the government has continuously cautioned against wage increases fuelling inflation, and this mantra has been repeated ad nauseam by policymakers and Government ministers.
“However, according to a Parliamentary Question reply I received from the Minister for Enterprise, this position appears to have changed and the government now seem to appreciate the need to restrain profits to tackle inflation.
“The best way to ensure the corporate profiteering, which is the most significant contributor to the current bout of inflation, is restrained, is for the hand of workers to be strengthened through legislating for collective bargaining.
“If the government legislates for collective bargaining it will allow workers the ability to negotiate for better pay and conditions and thereby restrain runaway profits.
“I welcome the governments conversion on this matter, and I look forward to engaging with them further.”
ENDS
Note to editor:
You can view the PQ response on Inflation and Profit Restraint in full here.
