Sinn Féin spokesperson on Mental Health, Mark Ward TD, has described the continued increase in waiting lists for CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) first-time appointments as a disgrace.
There is now a record high of 4,490 young people waiting on a first-time CAMHS appointment.
752 young people are waiting for over a year for an appointment with this vital service.
The Dublin Mid-West TD said:
“Nationally, there are currently a record high of 4,490 of our young people currently waiting for appointments with CAMHS. 752 of these children have been waiting for over a year for CAMHS services.
“These are figures I received from the HSE for the end of March.
“I received figures in February, which tell that nationally there has been a 1.2% increase in a month.
“What really concerns me is that there has been an 8.6% increase in young people who are waiting over a year for a first-time appointment.
“It is unacceptable for one young person to be waiting over a year, let alone 752 children.
“CAMHS are for young people with moderate to severe mental health problems and Minister Butler has pointed out the increase in the number of referrals to CAMHS as a contributing factor in the increased waiting times.
“The Minister cannot seem to join the dots in mental health care for young people and if children do not get the early intervention they need at primary care level then they will more than likely need the specialist care provided by CAMHS.
“The latest figures I have received show that over 11,000 children are waiting on an appointment for primary care psychology with over 4,000 children waiting over a year.
“Jigsaw have up to a 30-week wait in some areas.
“This Minister was appointed in July 2020 when the number of children waiting on a first-time appointment with CAMHS was 2112. There has been a staggering 112% increase under her watch.
“This is exacerbated further by an increase of 248% increase in young people waiting over a year on their first-time appointment.
“We can all get lost in statistics but behind each statistic is a young person, with hope, dreams and ambitions who are being denied by this Government the opportunity to reach their full potential.”
Sinn Féin MLA Caoimhe Archibald has said there is no place for racism or racist displays in our society.
Commenting on a protest in Portrush on Sunday which included National Front flags and racist displays, the East Derry MLA said:
"There is no place for racism or racist displays in our society and any occurrence should be condemned.
"Those engaged in protest with racist displays do not represent the vast majority of people of Portrush or the north coast.
"Sinn Féin is committed to building a society based on equal rights and equal opportunities for all who live here.
"We want to create a safe, welcoming, and inclusive society for all, including those seeking asylum and refuge."
Sinn Féin Senator Paul Gavan, has called on Minister Roderic O’Gorman to use the remaining time in the Seanad to "fundamentally reform" the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill.
The Bill is due to complete Committee Stage this week, and is expected to complete Report and Final Stage in the coming fortnight.
Senator Gavan said:
“This is the last chance to reform this deeply flawed Bill. The Minister must include the 30,000 people currently excluded so that no survivor is left out of its redress scheme.
"As it stands, 40 percent of survivors will be left behind by the government’s Mother and Baby Homes Institutions Payment Scheme.
"The scheme, which is due to be debated in the Seanad this evening, will, if passed, exclude the 24,000 survivors who were born in a Mother and Baby home and were resident less than six months.
"In addition the Bill will also exclude at least 4800 survivors who were 'boarded out' by the institutions.
“Survivors bravely came forward and told their stories because they wanted to see justice. However, many have been left feeling deeply frustrated and let down by the appalling way in which the redress scheme has been designed.”
“My Sinn Féin colleague Teachta Kathleen Funchion, has been calling on the Minister, since the publication of the Mother and Baby Homes report back in January 2021, to ensure any redress scheme meets the needs of all survivors irrespective of time spent in an institution.
"It's time to respect Mother and Baby Homes survivors and their families.
“I know first-hand that survivors will be bitterly disappointed if this bill completes its passage through the Seanad in this form. The government must change the redress scheme to be fairer to them.
“Sinn Féin has been outspoken in its calls for immediate and substantive recourse from religious orders and pharmaceutical companies to contribute to the redress scheme. This has not happened.
“I am calling on all Senators to demand that this scheme be reformed to be truly inclusive and fair. This is the very least that survivors deserve from their public representatives. Too many of the latter, all from the government benches, have been shamefully silent on this topic.
“The government has treated survivors with complete contempt time and time again and it is long overdue that they be respected and that their needs are met.
“It is vital that the government stops and considers the impact this deeply flawed redress scheme will have. It should not be just a box ticking exercise, it should be the State showing them that they are recognised and that they have been listened to.
“I am appealing to the Minister to do the right thing here, it is the last chance to amend this bill so it meets the needs of all survivors. It is time to respect survivors and their families.”
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Housing, Eoin Ó Broin TD, has called on Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien to set out his response to the ongoing staffing crisis in the National Building Control Office.
The Dublin Mid West TD's call comes as the Business Post reports correspondence between the NBCO and Department dating back to January 2022 in which the office, tasked with coordinating building control and building product surveillance, repeatedly highlighted the impact of chronic understaffing on their ability to carry out their functions properly.
Teachta Ó Broin said:
“Currently the state is facing bills over up to €5billion to cover the cost of remediating homes impacted by Celtic Tiger building defects and homes across the state built with defective blocks.
“Part of the reason for these building scandals was a historic under-resourcing of the building control functions in our Local Authorities and the dismantling of our building product surveillance infrastructure during the 1990s.
“In the aftermath of the Priory Hall disaster, one of the government's key reforms was the creation of a National Building Control Office. The role of the office was to support and improve building control functions in Local Authorities, including independent inspections of building sites. The NBCO was also given the role of building product surveillance.
“Despite these important jobs, the office has never been given the staffing or resources to undertake its functions properly. Correspondence from the NBCO to the Department, published by the Business Post, lays bare the extent of the underfunding.
“When the head of the office set up to strengthen the building control regime describes their under-resourcing as a national emergency, the government must take note and respond accordingly.
“Darragh O’Brien as the Minister responsible must set out in public how he and the government intend to address the chronic understaffing at the NBCO. I have written to the Minister today on the issue and requested a Dáil topical issue debate on the matter.
“Failure to resource the NBCO and our building control authorities runs the risk of repeating the regulatory failures of the past that led to the pyrite, defective block, and building defects scandals.”
Sinn Féin councillor Padráig Donnelly has said a security alert at the Church Road and the Henry Jones playing fields had caused disruption.
Cllr Donnelly said:
“A security alert is continuing at the Church Road and the Henry Jones playing fields which have been closed amid searches.
“This has caused disruption to people in the area and Lough View Integrated Primary School and Nursery has been closed as a result.
“A road closure is in place at the junction of the Church Road and Manse Road and people have been advised by police to avoid the area.
“I would urge people to avoid the area while this alert continues and follow advice from police.”
Sinn Féin MLA Linda Dillon has said further cuts to the health service are ‘cruel and immoral’ and said the British Government should get on with delivering fair pay for workers.
The party’s health spokesperson said:
“Further moves to cut funding for the health service is totally unacceptable and will result in more money being stripped out of community health services.
“These are cruel and immoral Tory cuts at a time when our health workers are burnt out from working long hours and under severe pressure.
“They deserve fair pay and working conditions. And rather than swinging the axe at our health service, there is an onus on the British Secretary of State to deliver this now for workers.
“One party’s blocking of the Assembly must stop now. Patients suffering on waiting lists for treatment cannot wait a day longer.
“Forming an Executive and working together as locally elected ministers to deliver more investment in health must be our collective priority. That should happen right now.”
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Louise O’Reilly TD, has said the €1.2 billion fine issued by the Irish Data Protection Commission to Facebook parent company, Meta, should be a wake-up call for the government regarding the regulation of big-tech.
Teachta O’Reilly said:
“The decision by the Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) to issue Facebook parent company Meta, with a €1.2 billion fine for breaches relating to the transfer of personal data from the European Union to the United States of America should be a wake-up call for the government regarding the regulation of big-tech.
“The fine in terms of its scale also poses questions regarding the original ruling of the DPC which did not recommend a fine.
“Today’s fine has only come about due to the strong line taken by peer European data watchdogs and an order from the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) that a fine be imposed.
“There are domestic and European laws in terms of people’s personal data and all companies, regardless of scale and size, must comply with those laws.
“This fine is not out of the blue and warnings were issued in terms of the data breaches concerned since a 2020 EU court ruling invalidated an EU–US data transfer pact.
“The allegation that people’s personal data was being spied upon by US security services once it crossed the Atlantic is even more concerning again.
“Data is very real, it is valuable, and it is an important commodity in today’s world. What is even more important is who controls personal data, who has access to it, and what it is being used for.
“This ruling should be a wake-up call for the government regarding the regulation of big-tech.
“Furthermore, the government should conduct an investigation into the use of Meta applications, and other social media apps, on government issued devices.”
Sinn Féin MP Órfhlaith Begley has said the family of murdered councillor Patsy Kelly are entitled to a fresh investigation to uncover the truth about his killing.
The West Tyrone MP said:
“It’s deeply concerning that the Attorney General has refused to hold a fresh inquest into the murder of independent councillor Patsy Kelly.
“Given the damning findings of the Police Ombudsman’s report into how Patsy was abducted and killed, the levels of cover-up and collusion involved, and the RUC’s failure to properly investigate this brutal murder, it is clear that a fresh inquest is needed.
“Patsy Kelly’s family have a right to the truth and an investigation to uncover exactly what happened to their husband and father.
“The Kelly family has been campaigning for truth and justice for almost 50 years with dignity and determination despite many the challenges facing them.
“The family have now applied for a Judicial Review, and we will continue to support them in their next steps to get truth and disclosure.”
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Health, David Cullinane TD, has said that record hospital cancellations is proof that the government's answer to chaos in our health service is to shift burdens from one area to another without solving any of the problems.
The Waterford TD was speaking ahead of bringing forward solutions to the crisis, which will be debated in the Dáil on Tuesday.
Teachta Cullinane said:
“Record hospital cancellations show that the government's answer to health service chaos is shifting the burden from one area to another without solving any of the problems.
“This is not a solution to the deepening crisis in our health service, which is at breaking point.
“We have record waiting lists, record waiting times and now we have record levels of cancellations.
“The average emergency department waiting time for admission so far this year stands at 11.5 hours, which is an hour longer than for the same period in 2019.
“The trolley scandal which Fine Gael pledged to end is now worse than ever. It has become a year-round threat to patient safety, with an average of more than 550 patients on trolleys every day so far this month compared to 350 in May 2011.
“There were 24,000 hospital appointments and procedures cancelled in April 2023, which is an increase of 70% on April 2022 and greater than the number of cancellations in January 2023.
“Hospital waiting lists now stand at 888,000 patients, with more than 500,000 people waiting longer than the Sláintecare targets agreed by the Oireachtas, and with more than 225,000 people waiting for a diagnostic scan.
“The government has no plan to fix the health service. They are only making it worse. The longer Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are in power, the more this scandalous situation will continue to spiral out of control.
“We need a serious multi-annual capacity plan, backed up by strategic workforce planning, to tackle the trolley crisis.
“The fact is we also need 1,000 more hospital beds than we have now, yet the government has no plan to deliver them.
“The Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, has said he will produce a new plan for 1,500 beds over the next few years. This doesn't come close to cutting the mustard - we need a plan for 2,500 beds according to ESRI estimates.
“The government has no plan to train the health workers we need to safely staff the health service.
“The health service can be fixed but it needs a government and minister with the political will to do so.
“A Sinn Féin government would drive reform, increase bed capacity, hold the health service accountable, and train and retain the healthcare workers we need to safely staff the health service.”
Sinn Féin’s motion can be read here.
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Addiction, Recovery and Wellbeing Thomas Gould has today called on the government to issue a clear timeline for full implementation of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act.
His comments come in response to an announcement by Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, who today signed regulations on Section 12 allowing for labelling on alcohol products.
Teachta Gould said:
“The Public Health (Alcohol) Act now holds the title of the legislation that has waited longest from enactment to implementation in this state. It has now been 1678 days since the bill was enacted but we still have no clear timeline for the full implementation of the act.
“We are already seeing loopholes being found in the legislation and alcohol being advertised in ways that are not appropriate.
“We should be looking for ways to strengthen the existing legislation, instead there are regulations included in the act that still have not been signed by the relevant minister.
“It is time for this government to take the harm caused by alcohol seriously. We need fully resourced alcohol-related brain injury treatment centres, we need resourcing for the evidence-based community action on alcohol programmes, and we need to see real regulation of drink-delivery services.
“These, alongside implementation of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act could protect the most vulnerable people in this state from the very real harm alcohol can pose while allowing those who safely, and legally, consume alcohol continue to do so.”
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Mental Health, Mark Ward TD, has called on government to explain why it has not invested any additional funding into eating disorder services for 2023.
Teachta Ward said:
“I have received a response from the HSE to say there is no additional funding to develop new eating disorder teams in this year’s National Service Plan.
“The National Model of Care for Eating Disorders was published by the HSE in 2018. It aimed to establish eight adult and eight CAMHS eating disorder teams that would form the eating disorder network.
“There are currently five teams in operation with four more in development.
“One of the goals for 2023 by the HSE was to advance the development of the Eating Disorder Hub Network through the recruitment of additional specialist community Eating Disorder Teams across the HSE in line with the Model of Care and funding received.
“However, the response I received from the HSE this week said that no additional funding was provided in HSE National Service Plan to develop the remaining Eating Disorder teams or to add additional posts to existing teams where required to meet demand.
“Specialist Eating Disorder teams have been associated with faster recovery, higher patient satisfaction, lower costs, lower rates of inpatient admission and better case identification and to find out there is no additional funding this year is very concerning.
“Eating disorders have the highest mortality of any psychiatric diagnosis.
“Last week, I was told that no additional funding was available for early intervention psychosis teams and this week it is the same answer for eating disorder teams.
“What we are seeing is a lack of ambition and political will to deliver services that are so badly needed in our health system.
“There are currently only three public inpatient beds for eating disorders. I highlighted last month that there is no plan currently to extend that number.
“It has been five years since the Model of Care Plan for Eating Disorders was published and yet the government is doing nothing to deliver on this.
“This Model of Care was originally a five-year plan, to be implemented by 2023.
“The time for planning has passed, now we need action. There cannot be another Budget Day with no additional spending on eating disorder services.''
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Finance, Pearse Doherty TD, has said that Government has left households exposed to rip-off electricity bills as wholesale prices continue to fall.
The Donegal TD was speaking as figures released by the CSO show that wholesale electricity prices have fallen by 57 percent since March 2022 while household bills have soared by 63 percent.
Speaking today, Teachta Doherty said:
“Workers and families have seen the price of electricity soar in the past year.
“The massive increase in energy costs has squeezed the income of Irish households with many forced into financial distress.
“Figures released today by the CSO show that the wholesale price of electricity has fallen by 14 percent in the past month, and by 57 percent since March of last year.
“Yet since March of last year, household electricity prices have increased by 63 percent.
“Let’s be clear – households are being price-gouged while wholesale prices fall.
“The Government have allowed this rip-off to continue by failing to reduce and cap electricity prices.
“This action has been taken across Europe – in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Austria and elsewhere.
“Despite Government spin, tackling rip-off electricity prices has been a priority across Europe.
“But as a result of Government inaction, Irish households continue to struggle under soaring costs.”
First Minister Designate Michelle O’Neill has said the results of the local council elections is a clear signal that people want politics to work for all.
Michelle O’Neill said:
“Sinn Féin went into this campaign with a positive message of wanting to make politics work for all.
We asked people to vote for Sinn Féin candidates who will work hard in councils every day to deliver on the issues that matter to them.
This election was an opportunity to send a clear signal.
To support the positive leadership and a party that wants to get the Assembly up and running, deliver first class council services, support people with the cost of living crisis, and invest in the health service.
The voters have now spoken.
In this election, Sinn Féin has made breakthroughs in areas right across the North.
In Lisburn North where Paul Burke has topped the poll and made history, doubling the Sinn Féin 2019 vote.
In Ballymena where Bréanainn Lyness has won a seat to become the first Sinn Féin councillor ever elected in that town, and Niamh Archibald has also been returned as the first party's ever councillor in Coleraine.
In Titanic, Pádraig Donnelly has won the seat for Sinn Féin.
In Banbridge DEA we have taken an extra seat to make it 2.
In the Waterside and Faughan DEAs in Derry, we have seat gains for Sinn Féin there with all 18 party candidates being elected to Derry City & Strabane Council.
In Blackmountain, Sinn Féin has again won 6 out of 7 seats.
In Armagh DEA, Lurgan DEA, Mid Tyrone DEA, West Tyrone DEA we have taken 4 seats in each of those areas.
In Craigavon DEA Catherine Nelson and Jude Mallon have both been elected with a Sinn Féin seat gain there.
In Castle DEA and Glengormley Urban DEA, Sinn Féin has gained a seat in each of those areas.
Historic change is happening, and Sinn Féin is leading that change right across Ireland.
These results are a positive endorsement of Sinn Féin’s message that workers, families and communities need to be supported, and that the blocking of a new Assembly by one party must end.
We want to work together with others.
To build a better future for everyone, protect public services, attract investment, create jobs for our young people, and deliver the change people here demand and rightfully deserve.
The onus is now on the British and Irish Governments to get together and focus their efforts on the immediate restoration of the Executive and Assembly.
We expect to see an early meeting of the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference.
The boycott of the Assembly cannot go on and an Executive must be formed.
It is time to make politics work for all right across this island.”
Sinn Féin Councillor Sharon Benson has today welcomed confirmation from Limerick City and County Council that it has conceded to her legal challenge regarding its conduct at a special meeting held on April 5th when a motion to discuss ending the eviction ban was blocked.
Cllr Benson said:
“In April, a special meeting was held and a motion on the ending of the eviction ban was to be discussed. During this meeting, the council blatantly disregarded standing orders and refused to have the motion heard.
“The issue of the ending of the eviction ban remains an issue of huge public interest both nationally and locally. For the motion on this matter to be ignored in such a manner was a denial of the local democratic process.
“Unfortunately, the council's course of action left me with no choice but to pursue legal avenues to ensure that not only this special meeting be held but that the local democratic processes were protected.
''I am pleased that after an initial resolute refusal to acknowledge their failings, the council has now capitulated and agreed for the special meeting to be reconvened so that this motion of importance to the people of Limerick can be heard.
“This is what should have happened in the first place. But in typical fashion, the Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil-controlled council do not want open and frank discussion taking place that has the opportunity to show up their government colleagues’ failure to deliver for working people and their families.
''If fair process was followed from the start, I would not have had to pursue legal action - an action that has left Limerick City and County Council facing legal costs. But I am delighted that both common sense and due process has won out.
''I would like to thank both my party colleagues and fellow councillors who stood by me during this process and of course my legal team who worked tirelessly to get this matter addressed.''
Cllr Benson’s solicitor, Mr Daniel Krieth, added:
“I am pleased that Limerick City and County Council have conceded to our legal challenge on this issue. It is fundamentally important that locally elected representatives are properly heard and facilitated when they wish to table proposals at council meetings, regarding issues that have significant importance to their constituents.”
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Defence, Matt Carthy, has said that neutrality allows Ireland to play a constructive role in the world and that the principle should be enshrined in the Irish constitution and EU treaties.
Deputy Carthy was speaking during Dáil statements on Thursday on the government’s proposed Consultative Forum on International Security. He said that Sinn Féin wants to rebuild our Defence Forces so that we can protect our neutrality, defend and monitor our skies and seas, and protect ourselves from modern threats, including cyber attacks.
Deputy Carthy also criticised the structure of the Consultative Forum saying that it is less about public discussion than it is an attempt to reshape public opinion.
He told the Dáil:
“Sinn Féin’s vision is for Ireland to play a constructive role in the wider world, committed to diplomacy, humanitarianism, peace building, and cooperation with other states on global challenges including poverty, world hunger, climate change, conflict resolution and migration.
“An independent foreign policy and military neutrality are crucial to allow Ireland to play that important role in the wider world.
“We should be proud of our military neutrality, and resist attempts by some in government to recast it as a weakness or a failing.
“The legacy of Irish neutrality is our role in working for nuclear non-proliferation, humanitarianism, contributing to the drafting of the Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, peace keeping, and the proud record of our United Nations peacekeepers in Lebanon, in the Congo, in Chad, South Sudan and elsewhere.
“It has been our contribution to making the world a better and a safer place.
“Being proud of our neutrality means being proud of those who served on UN peacekeeping missions, including those fought and died in the Niemba Ambush, those who fought, and whose bravery was long unrecognised, in the siege of Jadotville, all those who died on UN Peace Keeping duty including Pte Sean Rooney who was killed in December last year.
“Sinn Féin are proud of those who have served this country and we are proud of Ireland’s role in seeking peace rather than conflict.
Lack of Public Debate
“We therefore welcome any opportunity to participate in a public discourse on foreign, security and defence policies. Such debate has been sorely lacking over the past number of decades.
“Irish governments have made important, often crucial decisions, with very little engagement with the Irish public and often even with minimal Oireachtas debate. Indeed, governments have had to be taken to court in order to allow the Irish people to have their say on fundamental foreign policy shifts.
“Sinn Féin welcomes debate because we believe that Ireland has a positive story to tell and still has an important impact to make.
“The starting point to any such discourse must be a recognition that military neutrality has served this state well. It is for this reason that we want to enshrine the principle of neutrality in the Irish constitution and in the EU treaties.
“Of course, it’s easy to say that we support neutrality. Most members of this house would claim to do so, albeit an increasing number of government deputies are willing to acknowledge that this is not their position.
“It is less easy to define what neutrality actually means for a country like Ireland in the 21st century.
“That needs to change. Those of us on the left and others who value neutrality have, over the past two decades been very good at articulating what we are opposed to, not so good at setting out the positive and constructive role that neutrality can help Ireland play internationally.
Legacy of neutrality
“It is arguable that no government has clearly articulated Irish neutrality since the time of Frank Aiken.
“Aiken, of course, was a leading figure during the revolutionary period whose later work defined Irish foreign and defence policy for generations.
“The position of neutrality adopted by Aiken and many others from that revolutionary era should not surprise us. For they understood and appreciated the words of General Sherman who said that “It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for more blood, more vengeance, more desolation. War is hell.”
“It was Ireland’s position as a neutral, as well as our unique experience of colonialism that has allowed Ireland to earn a reputation as one of the pre-eminent contributors to peacekeeping in the globe.
“Because, Irish neutrality has never meant isolationism, disengagement or disinterest in the world.
“It has been a positive force for good, it has allowed this small country to play a bigger role in the world than many others with much greater wealth and much bigger military machines. That is the legacy of those who first defined neutrality.
“Our objective must be to build on that legacy for generations to come.
“That is why Sinn Féin welcomes increased public discussion on Foreign, Defence and Security policies.
“It is why we are disappointed that the government’s proposed forum is less about public discussion than it is an attempt to reshape public opinion.
“Government does not intend to provide a role for the opposition in the Tánaiste’s proposed so-called Consultative Forum.
“This is an important point because decisions on Foreign Policy are different to other areas. When one government sign up to international agreements, for example, a successor government cannot always simply change position without damaging our international reputation. Therefore, government cannot simply exclude opposition from important information and discussions that could have an impact for generations to come.
“Of course, in any public discussion we will vociferously advocate for neutrality and in doing so will follow the long-standing position of republicans, trade-unionists and other progressives over successive generations.
Changed Context
“That is not to deny that the world and the international security context has changed. The illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine has changed the world, and changed it forever.
“In the midst of this world-defining moment it is not only right, but it is incumbent upon all of us, in this House and beyond, to reflect upon our responsibility to safeguard our country and our citizens; to reflect on how we uphold the principles of democracy and the rule of law, and on how we contribute positively to the world beyond our borders throughhumanitarian and development aid, peacekeeping, and acting as agents and facilitators of peace where conflict does exist.
“And it is here that opinion diverges – for my part, upon reflection, I am as convinced in the imperative of Irish neutrality as I was prior to Russia’s criminal invasion of Ukraine.
“I remain as committed to Irish participation in UN peacekeeping missions and enforcing United Nations Security Council Resolutions.
“I remain as proud as before of Ireland’s humanitarian record, a record reinforced by the non-lethal aid and wider support that we have provided to the Ukrainian people.
“Others see the invasion of Ukraine as justification to take another course. Many of those already conveyed a sense of embarrassment or shame in Irish neutrality.
Governments have undermined Neutrality
“The truth is that over the past two decades, at least, governments have undermined Irish neutrality. They did that in three ways in my view
“Firstly, governments have moved us away from having an independent foreign policy.
“So it is that the strong, rightfully so, rhetoric and actions regarding Ukraine – being as they are in tune with those of larger Western states – are not matched in other areas where they are equally deserving, such as Palestine.
“Independent Foreign Policy meant this country led the way in the international pressure that brought the downfall of apartheid in South Africa. Independent Foreign Policy must mean that we do the same to end Israeli apartheid in Palestine.
“Secondly, successive governments have overseen the systemic underinvestment in our Defence Forces. We are unable to monitor, never mind defend, our own airspace or seas, and we are unable to secure ourselves against modern threats.
“Numbers within the Defence Forces have reached critically low levels. The decades-long undermining of our defence forces is a scandal.
“And, thirdly, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael governments have usedmembership of NATO’s Partnership for Peace and PESCO, as mechanisms to further undermine neutrality.
“These actions impact on each other. When Irish Ministers sign us up to international missions, even those with UN mandates, they often do so at the cost of Irish defence. When the Irish navy rightfully participates in the upcoming mission in the Mediterranean, there will be periods when there will be just a single navy vessel operating in Irish waters.
“The government responses, sometimes contradictory responses, to media reports of a secret deal with the British government to have the RAF secure our airspace again starkly points to an ongoing policy of signing up to international military missions while ignoring the incapacity to address our own domestic defence needs.
“Sinn Féin understands the obligations of government in respect of agreements made with international partners. That is why I have said that, in government, we will not withdraw Irish forces from pre-committed operations and exercises.
“But, in terms of future decisions, we will take a different approach than the current government.
“That approach will have the unequivocal starting point being that we are a neutral and independent state, and with the objective of building upon our proud tradition of participation in UN Peace Keeping missions and in supporting conflict resolution across the globe.
“The alternative trajectory is one that would place Irish Defence Forces personnel under the command of an EU military structure whose deployment could occur without the approval of the Dáil, government or UN mandate as required by the Triple Lock.
“That has been the ambition of some within the EU, long before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and is the natural outworking of the stated position of those within Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil who want to undo our traditional military neutrality.
“It is the ongoing failure of government parties to accept the premise that Irish neutrality has served us well that has led to much cynicism in the proposed Consultative Forum on International Security. Many, myself included, fear that the forum is a blatant attempt to undermine that neutrality.
“Should government wish to establish a consultative mechanism for debate, outside of a referendum, the appropriate format would be a Citizen’s Assembly.
“The proposed format of the Consultative Forum minimises the input of the public and opposition parties. Those contributing will be appointed by government, and their contributions will lead to a report authored the forums chair, also appointed by government.
“Sinn Féin will engage with the forum and we will outline our clear positions on Irish international security policy, including:
- Reiterating that the public should be consulted via the provenframework of a Citizen’s Assembly leading to a referendum to enshrine neutrality in the Constitution.
- That further entangling of the Irish State or Defence Forces in international security organisations or frameworks should be referred by the Dáil to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence for considered and detailed scrutiny.
- That the rebuilding of our Defence Forces is a priority obligation on government, and that a pre-requisite to doing so is addressing the recruitment and retention crisis. That requires the immediate implementation of the Working Time Directive.
Ireland’s ‘moral authority’
“There are always those who seek to misconstrue commitment to neutrality with isolationism. What they miss is that it has been our neutrality and our independent foreign policy that led President Biden,in this chamber, to recognise Ireland’s ‘moral authority’ around the world.
“That moral authority is something worth cherishing because it is the legacy of people such as former Minister Seán MacBride, a man who also bore witness to our own revolutionary period and who was laterInternational Chair of Amnesty International, a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize and a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights.
“Those of that generation will have recalled that famous banner hanging from Liberty Hall that ‘We serve neither King nor Kaiser, but Ireland’.
“And it is with that ethos, Ireland as an independent state, operating an independent foreign policy as endorsed and respected by the international community, that we can advance the Irish legacy of delivering humanitarian aid to countries under brutal and callous invasion such as Ukraine; build on the renowned reputation of our Defence Forces in UN Peace Keeping missions; and make a stand for the Palestinian people and others repressed through occupation and apartheid.
“This is the vision of neutrality that Sinn Féin will bring to this and every debate, and it is a vision I am proud to champion.
“Because looking across this chamber at those parties who have been in government for all of my life, I see no clear vision for Irish neutrality because none has been espoused since Aiken.
“And I see no vision for foreign policy or international security other than to follow the lead of others.
“We, on the other hand, want Ireland to lead the way.
“We want to rebuild our Defence Forces so that we can protect our neutrality, defend and monitor our skies and seas, and protect ourselves from modern threats, including cyber attacks.
“We want to give our defence forces the respect they deserve so that they, and our diplomatic corps, can continue to be missionaries of a small nation that makes a big difference for the better all over the world.
“We want Ireland to be a voice against oppression, poverty and war. To be the international champion for peace and disarmament and multilateralism.
“We want Ireland to use our history to ensure that this planet has a better future.”
Last night in the Dáil, Mayo Sinn Féin TD, Rose Conway-Walsh got confirmation from the Minister for Agricultire on the issue of turbary rights for ACRES participants on commonage lands.
Deputy Conway-Walsh said:
“I have been working on this issue with my colleague Claire Kerrane TD for weeks now regarding the impact of domestic turf cutting on ACRES eligibility and scoring for farmers with commonage land.
“Finally, after submitting a topical issue in the Dáil I have received the following confirmation:
“The Department and Co-operation teams are conscious that active turf-cutting could have a disproportional impact on scores on commonage, and to ensure that ACRES participants on commonage lands are rewarded for their environmental ambition, my Department is now proposing that non-turbary and turbary areas are scored independently of each other.
“This also means that turbary rights on commonages are unaffected if the shareholder wishes to proceed with that activity. In doing so, any scoring related to active turbary will be confined to those sub-units of active turbary, thereby allowing the vast majority of commonage land to be assessed independently of turbary, where such right exists. ACRES farmers will be paid in full for their combined score on non-turbary and turbary areas subject to scheme ceilings.”
“I want to thank the Minister for Agriculture for taking on board the concerns I expressed to him over the past six weeks. This will now enable farmers and those with turbary rights to get on with their work at what is their busiest time of year.”
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Agriculture, Claire Kerrane TD, has called for immediate action on the technical issues that farmers are facing in applying for the new Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) scheme.
There have been reports of technical issues and ‘glitches’ to farmers submitting their applications to the scheme, the deadline for which is May 29th. Concerns have also been raised around the complexity of the new application process and how time-consuming it is.
Teachta Kerrane has raised these issues with the Minister for Agriculture, and queried what the Department are doing to provide assistance to farmers and to ensure continuity under the BISS following on from the scheme it is replacing, the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS).
Speaking today, Teachta Kerrane said:
“I have had contact from farmers concerned about a range of aspects of applications to the new BISS scheme.
“There have been technical issues which have resulted in challenges for farmers and farm advisors submitting their applications.
“As well as this, the additional complexity of the new application process under the BISS and related schemes, the Eco-scheme and Complementary Redistributive Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS) scheme, has caused issues for farmers submitting their applications
“I have been contacted by farmers who are unsure of how to go about selecting the right actions that apply to their farming practices under this new application process, and are worried about how this will in turn affect the final payment they are to receive under the BISS scheme.
“While the BISS is the replacement scheme for the former under the new CAP, some farmers are concerned that their overall rate of payment will drop compared to what they received through the former BPS, despite the size of their farm and actions remaining unchanged.
“Ultimately, farmers have outgoings, bills and loan repayments, which don’t change despite a new payment scheme coming into place. This is something I have also raised in relation to the Minister’s announcement that there will be delays to BISS and ANC payments over recent weeks.
“Ideally, farmers submitting their BISS application would be aware of what payment rate they can expect ahead of the forthcoming deadlines, not afterwards and not as a result of the application process being too complex.
“I have asked the Minister to outline what engagement and assistance his Department are offering in cases where this is occurring, to prevent any sudden payment cliff-edges as a result of the move from BPS to BISS.
“These online applications for payments should be becoming easier and less complex rather than more.”
Sinn Féin TD John Brady has criticised the government following its failure to support his Illegal Israeli Settlement Divestment Bill and instead introduce an amendment to kick the issue down the road for nine months.
The Wicklow TD accused the government of parroting the arguments of the oppressor in their rationale for doing so, and of repeating the same attempts to obstruct, delay and frustrate used before with the Occupied Territories Bill.
Teachta Brady said:
“Fearing the reaction of the Irish people, the government is attempting to portray support for this legislation in principle while simultaneously parroting the same arguments made by the Israeli government to attack the UN Human Rights Council Database on which the bill is premised.
“The Irish government has adopted the arguments of the oppressor.
“The passing of the amendment in the name of the Minister for Finance means that, for the next nine months at least, the government has ensured that the Irish taxpayer will remain mired in the mix of war crimes being committed through the Irish Strategic Investment Fund involvement in companies operating in the illegal settlements.
“One of the main arguments put forward by government rests on what they argue is the limited number of companies on the database even though they are fully aware that this is a measure of the degree of scrutiny the UN undertakes in maintaining the database.
“The reality is that Palestinian and international human rights organisations are making regular submissions to the UN database and there is a team working there reviewing the content on an ongoing basis to ensure that it is updated.
“It has taken the UN Human Rights Council four years to compile the database, and to issue their 2020 report into companies operating within the illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
“The UN team investigated 307 companies, subsequently whittled down to 112, for which there was clear evidence of them operating within the illegal Israeli settlements.
“Rather than support the Sinn Féin bill, the government has opted to bring forward an amendment in an attempt to kick it down the road for nine months.
“I remain determined to pursue the government on the principles contained in this Bill, and will be seeking a meeting with the Minister at the earliest opportunity to ensure that the legislation is enacted as quickly as possible, so that the embroilment of the Irish taxpayer as stakeholders in war crimes is ended through the divestment of ISIF interests in companies operating in the illegal settlements.”
Sinn Féin TD for Meath West Johnny Guirke has described as 'utterly shocking' a video of a teenager being assaulted in Navan, Co. Meath that has appeared on social media.
The local TD said:
"The video circulating on social media of a teenager being attacked by a group of school going teenagers in Navan is utterly shocking. My thoughts at this time are with the child assaulted and their family.
"I would urge people to heed the advice of Gardaí not to further circulate this video and for anyone with any information about this incident to bring it to Gardaí so that this incident can be properly investigated and the perpetrators dealt with.
"There can be no room in our society for these types of acts and this behaviour.
"People in Navan and across the country will be rightly disgusted by this incident. It is not on and we must ensure this behaviour is rooted out once and for all."
First Minister Designate Michelle O’Neill has said the council election tomorrow is an opportunity to vote for positive leadership.
Speaking on the eve of the local council elections, Michelle O’Neill said:
“Tomorrow, by voting for Sinn Féin you can send a clear signal that it is time to get the Assembly back up and running.
“And show your support for a party that wants to invest in the health service, help people with the cost of living and deliver first class council services and economic regeneration across our communities.
“I am asking you to give Sinn Féin a stronger mandate to deliver for all in local councils by electing hardworking Sinn Féin councillors who will prioritise the issues facing workers and families.
“Now is the time for positive leadership to achieve a better future and work together for all. Vote for your local Sinn Féin candidates tomorrow.”
