Sinn Féin Senator Lynn Boylan has taken action against greenwashing by submitting complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland (ASAI), regarding misleading claims of 100% renewable energy by SSE Airtricity and Pinergy.
Senator Boylan said:
“I have submitted complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland regarding two energy providers' misleading claims of 100% renewable energy.
“Pinergy and SSE Airtricity both claimed to be selling electricity that is more sustainable than it really is – a textbook example of greenwashing.
“Pinergy’s online ad said ‘supplying 100% renewable energy to thousands of families and businesses throughout Ireland’, while SSE Airtricity’s ad said ‘choose a greener world every time you flip a switch’.
“You don’t just have to take my word for it. The Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland made an adjudication against Energia for the exact same practice only a matter of a few weeks ago in April.
“The ASAI needs to act quickly, and not wait over a year to act. This is a test for the advertising authority. Do their decisions set a precedent? If so, they need to order SSE Airtricity and Pinergy to take down the ads immediately.
“It is simply unacceptable to expect the public to remain vigilant to the torrent of greenwashing. The ASAI must uphold its responsibilities by ensuring that all advertising adhere to its code and the new industry standard its decisions set.”
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Health, David Cullinane TD, has called on the Minister for Health and CEO of the HSE to take a hands-on, serious, and strategic multi-annual approach to investment and reform in the health service.
The Waterford TD said that three, five, and ten-year horizons needed to be planned for as a replacement for the failed winter plan approach.
Teachta Cullinane made the remarks in response to the announcement by the CEO of the HSE, Mr Bernard Gloster, that the HSE will move away from winter-only plans.
Teachta Cullinane said:
“This change of tack from the CEO of the HSE is an admission that the previous approach had failed to tackle the crisis in hospitals.
“The winter plan approach has failed patients and workers. The trolley crisis is now a year-round scandal, emergency department waits are nearly 12 hours on average, and more than 500,000 people are on waiting lists for appointments longer than 3 months.
“The HSE must urgently move to multi-annual planning of investment and reform to boost capacity and integrate services and management.
“This has to include GP, primary, and community care, access to diagnostics, home support and transitional care, digitisation, integration, and set clear timeframes for reaching targets.
“All of this must be underpinned by joined up, strategic workforce planning, which includes the health service and higher education institutes.
“The Minister for Health needs to take a hands-on, serious, and strategic multi-annual approach to investment and reform in the health service. He needs to be planning for three, five, and ten-year horizons.
“The winter plan has only ever been short-term window dressing and a rehashing of previously announced measures. It was never accompanied with serious new investment.
“HSE targets, set by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Governments, have always been too low, and even then, they have been missed. The Government announced 1,200 new beds three years ago and 20% have not been delivered yet.
“Sustained multi-annual investment, planned strategically, is needed to deliver the capacity and implement the reforms which the health service needs.”
North Kildare TD Réada Cronin is to be the new Sinn Féin junior Spokesperson on Defence. Her promotion was confirmed by Sinn Féin Leader Mary Lou McDonald as part of the reshuffle to prepare the party for the next General Election.
Teachta Cronin said:
“I’m delighted to be appointed to the Defence portfolio, working alongside Foreign Affairs and Defence spokesperson Matt Carthy and the Sinn Féin team on this important area. Especially now at a time when it is important for the State to renew its commitment to our Defence Forces.
“Firstly, in order to value and reciprocate their loyalty and outstanding service and secondly, to make sure they are at optimum capacity and capability to fulfil their functions here at home and overseas.
“I’m aware, too, that my appointment comes at a time when the revelations of the Women of Honour continue apace and these proud public servants are seeking the required action on their alarming, dangerous and degrading experience within our Defence Forces. I look forward to supporting survivors as they continue to seek justice.
"The Defence Forces' most important asset are the brave and determined men and women that make up their ranks and I am committed to ensuring that they get the fair treatment and respect that they deserve.
“Equally, despite certain political kite-flying suggesting otherwise, the majority of our people are still intent on retaining our neutrality and I will be working to make sure our neutrality is protected. I believe this young and still-unfinished Republic has a key role to play in peace-making and peacekeeping and in bringing humanitarian aid, with our distinctly Irish heart and voice and insight, to wherever it is needed in the world. We must build on our already-excellent international credentials, standing and experience in this area.
“With our Defence Forces headquartered in Kildare, and so many in the county serving or having served with loyalty and distinction, I am determined to work day in and day out as a local TD to ensure that their voices are heard. They can be confident that I will continue to work relentlessly to advocate for North Kildare and ensure that all our communities get a fair chance.
"Sinn Féin are ready to fight the next General Election – and I am proud to be part of a team with the ideas, ambition and experience ready to deliver real change in government.
“As we enter the last quarter of this government, it is clear that Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are out of ideas and out of ambition. The longer they remain in office the more damage they will do. That is why we need change and a General Election as soon as possible.”
Slieve Rushen House Project ‘Very Exciting’ - MacManus
Sinn Féin MEP Chris MacManus has described plans to develop the area around Slieve Rushen House as very exciting. The Midlands Northwest representative was speaking after meeting with Kevin Lunney from Mannok and receiving a briefing on the proposed project, alongside his Sinn Féin colleague Damien Brady.
MEP MacManus said:
“I was pleased to meet with Kevin Lunney recently at the Mannok Head Office with my colleague Damien Brady."
“Kevin briefed us on their plans to restore Slieve Rushen House, develop a number of walkways, an interpretive centre and create a heritage and habitat park in the surrounding area."
“This is a very exciting project which would be a fantastic amenity for the local community and a gamechanger in terms of attracting tourism to the area. It would also be very positive as a cross-border project that can bring local communities together."
“However this project is at a very early stage and will require support if it is to be progressed, and I hope that all of the relevant agencies will get behind it."
“I want to thank Kevin for outlining this exciting plan to us and I wish all involved the very best as they attempt to make this project a reality. ENDS
See attached photo from the Mannok Head Office of (L-R): Damien Brady, Kevin Lunney, Chris MacManus MEP
Chris MacManus MEP to hold Regional Imbalance Public Meeting in Claremorris
Sinn Féin MEP for Midlands Northwest, Chris MacManus, will host a public meeting on addressing regional imbalance and reversing rural decline in the McWilliam Park Hotel, Claremorris on Monday 15th May at 8pm. The meeting will feature contributions from Rose Conway-Walsh TD, Cllr Gerry Murray, INHFA President Vincent Roddy and former CEO of the Western Development Commission and Ireland West Airport Liam Scollan. MacManus has encouraged the public to attend the meeting and to join the discussion on delivering change for the West.
MEP MacManus said:
“Delivering balanced regional development and standing up for the West has always been a key priority for Sinn Féin and I am delighted to be hosting this discussion on addressing regional imbalance and reversing rural decline in Claremorris.”
“Over the past number of decades our region has suffered from neglect and a lack of opportunities for those of us who live here, particularly for our younger people. The EU’s downgrading of the Northern and Western region in recent years to being a lagging region and one ‘in transition’ highlights the urgency of addressing this problem.”
“We need positive discrimination for the region to turn this around and revitalize the economy in the West. The only thing that will reverse this decline is major investment in infrastructure and public services. I have been calling for Cohesion funding, State Aid flexibility, the billion euro allocation of the RRF and the Brexit Fund to be used to offer a ready-made investment package to provide for this. I have also been hosting high-level meetings with European Commissioners to highlight the particular issue here in the West.”
MacManus concluded, “There is no doubt that the current approach to regional development needs to change urgently in order to ensure that this part of the country has a sustainable future. I would encourage people to attend our meeting on Monday 15th May to join the discussion on how we can bring about change for our region.” ENDS
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The British Government has been urged to reconsider their so-called Legacy Bill by the Committee of Ministers in the Council of Europe.
Responding to a question posed by Sinn Féin Senator Paul Gavan, Icelandic Foreign Minister Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjord Gylfadóttir, representing the Committee of Ministers, said that they were closely examining the Bill.
Speaking after the exchange which took place in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Senator Gavan said:
"In response to my question, Minister Gylfadóttir expressed the Committee’s 'serious concerns' regarding the Bill stating that it may not be in compliance with the European Convention (of Human Rights) and will not enable restitution for victims.
"The Minister urged the British government to take steps to allay concerns regarding the Bill before the next meeting of the Committee of Ministers, which is due to take place on June 8th.
"She also agreed with me that significant parts of the Good Friday Agreement have yet to be implemented.
“This was a very clear message from the Committee of Ministers to the British Government - that they need to take action regarding this Bill of Shame, and I am very satisfied with their response.
"The obvious course of action to take is to withdraw the Bill, which does not command the support of any political party across our country.
“This Bill of Shame which would, uniquely in the world and against all principles of domestic and international law, close down all routes to justice for people bereaved in the conflict should now be shelved without further delay.”
Sinn Féin’s Middle East spokesperson, Pat Sheehan MLA, has expressed his condolences following the death of Palestinian Hunger Striker, Khader Adnan. He said his death was another life lost as a result of Israel’s inhumane prison policies and he said it was time for the international community to act.
Khader Adnan had been on hunger strike for 87 days in protest to his detention without charge before his death on 2nd May 2023.
The West Belfast MLA said:
“For too long the international community has watched from afar as countless Palestinians fall victim to Israel’s callous policies of systematic oppression and persecution.
“The latest death of Hunger Striker, Khader Adnan, is yet another life lost to the tragedy of Israel’s inhumane prison policies.
“Khader Adnan’s death has brought international attention to the treatment of Palestinian prisoners and Israel’s cruel administrative detention programme.
“Approximately 5,000 Palestinian prisoners are estimated to be in Israeli jails at present, including around 1,000 being held in administrative detention.
“The treatment of Palestinian prisoners is clear for the world to see; but the time for accountability and the international community to act has long passed.
“Israel needs to stop its mass detention and degrading treatment of Palestinians and abide by international human rights law in ending its vindictive prisons policy.
“Words without action will enable the continued daily harassment, settler and state violence, annexation of Palestinian lands and persecution to continue; all of which have been reported by such organisations as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch as ‘crimes against humanity and constituting a system of apartheid’.
“To Khader’s family I express my sincere condolences for the loss of their beloved husband and father, reiterating their calls for calm in response to his death.”
Sinn Féin Senator Paul Gavan has reiterated his call for the release of Julian Assange today, on World Press Freedom Day.
Senator Gavan informed Seanad Leader Lisa Chambers that Julian has now entered his fifth year in the UK’s Belmarsh prison as a remand prisoner.
Speaking in the Seanad, Senator Gavan said:
“Julian is incarcerated in Belmarsh prison, in one of the harshest prison environments anywhere in Europe.
"He shares the prison with people convicted of murder, rape and torture. Today, like every other day, Julian will spend 22 hours in a small cell.
"He will receive his meals through a slot in his prison door. He has never seen either of his children, aged 4 and 5, outside of a prison setting.
“This cruel regime of isolation is quite deliberate. The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Professor Nils Melzer visited Julian in prison and concluded that his treatment constituted psychological torture, a form of torture aimed at destroying the personality of an individual.
"The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has found Julian to be arbitrarily detained.
"During his extradition hearing the judge forced Assange to observe the hearing from a glass cage, usually reserved for violent offenders, at the back of the courtroom where he could not confer with his lawyers.
"He has been subject to strip search, suffered a mini-stroke and is at risk of taking his own life.
"As Julian’s health conditions continue to deteriorate, he suffers the harsh conditions of a maximum security prison despite not being convicted of any crime, and there is no end in sight to this mistreatment.
"His fate is similar to that of the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, whose interrogation and torture he revealed.
"What we are witnessing is the slow motion execution of Julian Assange.
"Any politician who values democratic principles, respects the rule of law and believes in press freedom should work to ensure that Assange is freed immediately.”
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Health, David Cullinane TD, has called on the government to better support frontline healthcare workers and deliver safe staffing levels.
Teachta Cullinane made the remarks in response to extreme overcrowding in emergency departments this week and to support calls from nurses and midwives at their conference.
The Waterford TD called on the Minister for Health to get ahead of the crisis in hospitals with a multi-annual capacity and workforce plan that deals with the chronic overcrowding in hospitals, delivers alternative care options in the community, and strategically plan the development of the healthcare workforce to achieve safe staffing levels.
He said the government must also address housing and cost of living barriers faced in particular by young workers.
Teachta Cullinane said:
“The problems in our hospitals have only gotten worse under this government. Morale across the workforce is low due to chronic overcrowding and unsafe conditions, and workers cannot see a credible plan from government that will fix this.
“Health service workers and patients need a government that can tackle overcrowding in our hospitals. There are several steps that must be taken together to solve this crisis.
“The ingredients start in hospitals, in terms of bed, diagnostic, and surgical capacity, to see patients quicker.
“But the crisis cannot be solved in hospitals alone. We need to reduce the number of patients attending hospital through investment in primary care, out of hours GP, early intervention, and prevention, and decrease the time a patient spends in hospital through investment in home support, step-down, and community-based care as well as hospital capacity.
“All of this must be underpinned by a comprehensive strategic workforce plan, which is joined up across the health service and higher education institutes, to expand capacity and achieve safe staffing levels.
“The significant cost of living issues faced by healthcare workers, particularly young graduates, needs to be addressed.
“Together with Sinn Féin spokesperson on Housing, Eoin Ó Broin, I have engaged with nurses and the INMO and they have told us how difficult it is for young nurses to get secure and affordable accommodation.
"The same is true for other healthcare workers. The government must ratchet up affordable homes to rent and buy, and remove cost of living barriers for young nurses and health and social care professionals.
“The government must act on calls from nurses and midwives for safe staffing levels and get ahead of these crises to deliver the change that is needed."
AGRI committee warmly welcomes MacManus’s Young Farmers delegation in Brussels
Sinn Féin MEP Chris MacManus recently hosted a delegation of young farmers to Brussels. The delegation included members of Macra, young farmers, alongside teaching staff, studying agricultural courses in Ballyhaise Agricultural College, and Dundalk Institute of Technology.
Speaking after the visit Chris MacManus said:
“This visit to the European Parliament was an important opportunity to engage with issues affecting farmers, especially young farmers in Ireland who are facing the challenges of rising costs, land-grabbing, increasing regulatory burdens instigated at an EU level, and general challenges facing rural Ireland.”
“In order to receive a wider perspective the group met a number of key stakeholders from across the spectrum. The farmers had a number of productive meetings with the European Commission, the Irish Farmers Association, and the European Policy Office of the World Wildlife Fund to get a perspective on policy-making, advocacy, agriculture and sustainability.”
“I also brought the group into a sitting session of the European Parliament’s agriculture and rural development committee to hear me present the Irish position on the report on generational renewal, where they received a warm welcome and a round of applause.”
“This was a very successful and worthwhile trip and the young farmers provided essential insight into their views on generational renewal and challenges facing young farmers today, and I look forward on hosting another delegation soon.” ENDS
Below: Chris MacManus MEP pictured with the delegation included members of Macra, young farmers, alongside teaching staff, studying agricultural courses in Ballyhaise Agricultural College, and Dundalk Institute of Technology.
Below: Chris MacManus MEP pictured with delegation members from Co. Monaghan
Below: Chris MacManus MEP pictured with delegation members from Co. Meath
Below: Chris MacManus MEP pictured with delegation members from Co. Cavan
Below: Chris MacManus MEP pictured with delegation members from Co. Louth
Below: Chris MacManus MEP pictured with delegation members from Co. Longford
Sinn Féin TD for Limerick, Maurice Quinlivan, has called on the government to step up and address the failures at UHL and address the trolley crisis.
Today a record 124 patients are on trolleys at the Mid-West Hospital.
Teachta Quinlivan said:
“Today, there are 124 people being treated on trolleys at University Hospital Limerick - a new and shameful record. It is an indictment of the performance of this government and its Health Minister.
“Time and again, record numbers are being treated in this form at the main hospital in the Mid-West and yet we still have no meaningful response from the Minister.
“To have 124 people treated on trolleys is an absolute disgrace. These aren’t just statistics, these are people already nervous about being in a hospital.
“These are people, many seniors, who are entitled to their dignity when attending a hospital. To be left on a trolley in a hallway is not how one should be treated in a prosperous European state.
“Already in 2023, we have had 6,646 people treated on trolleys at University Hospital Limerick. Last year there were 18,012 people treated in this manner.
“So this is not a crisis that has popped up out of the blue. It is ongoing and it is a crisis that has been allowed to fester by the failure of this government to take any meaningful actions to address it.
“At UHL we have capacity and staffing issues. Our trained health professionals are departing the service in high numbers due to the strain such working conditions put on them. I have much sympathy for them.
“These doctors and nurses work hard to care for their patients, but they are not allowed to perform their duties in optimum conditions. Treating someone in a hallway within earshot and sight-line of the next patient is not appropriate.
“We hear fine words from the Minister and the HSE about patient safety being at the centre of all hospital activity. But one cannot ensure the safety of patients while they lie on trolleys in hospital corridors. The risk of infection is greater in an unsanitary corridor.
“These current conditions have been allowed to continue for far too long. It is not appropriate for the patients in the Mid-West and it is not fair on the health professionals working under these conditions. This government has allowed this crisis at UHL to drag on. All available options must be used to increase capacity both in the short term and the longer term.
“At UHL there remains a shortage of non-consultant hospital doctors. At UHL the Emergency Department doesn’t have the capacity to cater for all presentations.
“We need, and the patients and staff deserve, change, and this can only come from an immediate government intervention with an immediate priority being the expediting of the construction of the new 96-bed units at UHL.”
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Mental Health, Mark Ward TD, has joined calls made by mental health specialists in the campaign to help women to talk, connect and be empowered in their mental health during and after pregnancies.
Teachta Ward was speaking after the launch of the HSE campaign on World Maternal Mental Health Day, a day that is used to raise awareness for mental health during and up to one year after pregnancy.
Teachta Ward said:
“I am very happy to join in the HSE campaign to raise awareness about perinatal mental health.
“The period during and up to one year after a pregnancy can be a very happy one for parents but it can also be a period that brings mental health issues, affecting up to one in five women.
“This campaign aims to help women to talk about their experiences, connect with other women and families and to empower them to look after their mental health.
“There is still no specialist perinatal inpatient unit on the island of Ireland. I alongside my Sinn Féin colleague in the north, Órlaithí Flynn MLA, have been calling for the establishment of such a unit for over two years.
“In recent weeks, I received a response to a Parliamentary Question which did not give a definitive timeline for the when the proposed unit will be up and running.
“St Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin has been chosen as the site, but we still do not know when this 10-bed unit will be operational.
“It is unclear if the 2024 target set out in 'Sharing the Vision' for the delivery of this service will be met, which is not good enough from this Government.
“This HSE campaign will be great with empowering women in taking care of their mental health and raising awareness of the supports that are available, but it will also shine a light on the failing of Government to provide specialist inpatient perinatal services.
“I am calling on the Government to join in this conversation and to set out concrete timelines for delivering a specialist perinatal inpatient unit on the island of Ireland and to deliver on its promises.”
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Finance, Pearse Doherty TD, has called for the introduction of a temporary and targeted Mortgage Interest Support Scheme to support homeowners with rising mortgage costs.
The Donegal TD was speaking as the ECB is expected to raise interest rates for the seventh time since July.
Teachta Doherty said:
“Tomorrow the ECB is widely expected to increase interest rates for the seventh time since July.
“This rate hike will hit the pockets of hundreds of thousands of households.
“It will immediately impact more than 250,000 borrowers on a tracker rate.
“It will also hit the pockets of thousands of borrowers whose mortgages were sold to vulture funds, with many paying interest rates as high as 8 percent.
“These rate rises are likely to impact others in the time ahead.
“The Central Bank estimates that a fifth of mortgage holders are seeing their repayments rise by as much as 50 percent – this is before the expected ECB rate hike tomorrow.
“Tens of thousands of households are now seeing their mortgage repayments rise by approximately €5,000 this year.
“This is a massive income shock for tens of thousands of households with a rise in arrears now inevitable.
“Already in the grip of a cost of living crisis, now is the right time to introduce temporary and targeted mortgage interest.
“The government cannot wash their hands of these rising costs any longer.”
Sinn Féin's mortgage interest relief proposals can be read here.
Rail Review Must Be Published As Soon As Possible – MacManus & Kenny
Sinn Féin representatives Chris MacManus MEP and Martin Kenny TD have re-iterated their party’s support for reopening of the Western Rail Corridor and have called for the all-island rail review to be published as soon as possible. MacManus, MEP for Midlands Northwest, and Kenny, who has recently been appointed Sinn Féin Transport Spokesperson, were speaking after meeting to discuss transport priorities across the Western region.
MEP MacManus said:
“I was pleased to sit down with Martin Kenny recently as he begins his new role as Sinn Féin Transport Spokesperson to discuss some of the key transport issues across our region, in particular the need to reopen the Western Rail Corridor."
“Reopening of this rail line would bring huge benefits to our region, particularly in terms of addressing regional imbalance and bringing economic development to the West."
“It has been widely reported that the all-island rail review recommends partial reopening of the line from Athenry to Claremorris, but it’s publication has been delayed by the absence of an Executive in the north."
“I note that the Minister and Department have recently committed to resolving this impasse and intend to publish the review, but not until the second half of this year. I would urge the Minister to publish the review as soon as possible, this project has been kicked down the road for far too long already and must not be delayed any further."
Teachta Kenny said:
“The Western Rail Corridor will be a key priority for me in my new role as Sinn Féin Transport Spokesperson. While Athenry to Claremorris would be a welcome first step, it is imperative that the whole Western Rail Corridor from Athenry to Collooney is eventually reopened."
“A reopened Western Rail Corridor would link every key population centre in the West to the rest of the country, enable more people to commute sustainably and can play a crucial role in the development of Knock Airport as a major transport and logistics hub."
“That is why in our alternative budget for 2023 Sinn Féin provided for initial capital funding to kickstart the Western Rail Corridor project."
“The Minister must ensure that the rail review is published without delay so that we can get on with this project.
“I’m looking forward to continuing to work with Chris MacManus and other Sinn Féin colleagues across the West to ensure that this vital project is delivered in the near future. ENDS
See attached photo of Martin Kenny TD (left) and Chris MacManus MEP (right) at the Sinn Féin office in Carrick-on-Shannon
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Mental Health, Mark Ward TD, has called for increased supports for children and young people who have faced mental health challenges over the last decade.
Teachta Ward was speaking following the publishing of the 'Spotlight' report by Minister for Children, Roderic O’Gorman TD.
CAMHS services have 4,434 people waiting for a first-time appointment, with 682 waiting for more than a year.
Teachta Ward said:
“The Spotlight report that was launched last week is an important snapshot that reinforces what we already know to be happening.
“The report highlights a 150% increase of children in receipt of clinical psychology between 2019 and 2020 with demand for services also increasing.
“It has highlighted the increased loneliness that affect young people over the decade.
“When I was first appointed as Sinn Féin spokesperson on Mental Health in 2020, I called on the Government to expand capacity within primary and secondary mental health services, particularly for young people.
“There has been little movement on delivering for young people in recent years.
“We have reached record numbers waiting for first time appointments with CAMHS with 4,434 waiting overall and 682 of these waiting over a year.
"This is a rise of 110% and 215% respectively since this Government first took office.
“There are more than 11,000 children waiting for an appointment with primary care psychology. Waiting times with Jigsaw are as high as 30 weeks in some areas.
“Early intervention is key when it comes to mental health in preventing chronic, longterm treatment need.
“The trends for increase in waiting times are not sustainable.
“We need action from Government, we need a fully resourced CAMHS Service with integration with primary care services.
“CAMHS must be extended to help young people up to the age of 25 years, by which age 75% of chronic mental ill-health has been established by.
“Provision should also be made for child counselling in primary care.
“We have to be able to give every child the opportunity to reach their full potential and this Spotlight report has unfortunately shown that this is not the case for those with mental ill-health.”
MacManus welcomes European Parliament stance on illegal settlements trading
Sinn Féin MEP Chris MacManus has hailed the decision by the European Parliament’s Petitions Committee (PETI) to support restricting EU trade with illegal settlements. Speaking at the committee meeting in favour of the petition supporting these restrictions, MacManus said that it reflects the increased awareness amongst MEPs from different political parties towards the plight of the Palestinian people.
MacManus said:
“It is a small step but a significant moral boost for occupied peoples everywhere, in particular for the Palestinians suffering from occupation and apartheid at the hands of the Israeli state.
“It is unacceptable that the European Commission had tried to unsuccessfully prevent the registration of a European Citizens Initiative to stop trade with illegal settlements.
“Israeli settlements in the occupied territories are illegal under international law. They have resulted in a host of human rights violations against the Palestinians amounting to ethnic cleansing, such as the unlawful demolitions of homes, destruction of farmland, forced displacement, unlawful killings and more.
“Despite the European Commission’s claims at the PETI Committee that it supports international law, it still facilitates trade with these illegal settlements. They then had the audacity to justify this by saying that they do not provide preferential trade arrangements and goods must labelled. This is a very low bar.
“I am particularly pleased that Ireland was one of four countries that exceeded their quota of signatures for the original initiative and I commend the efforts of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC), political activists and reps from my own party Sinn Féin and others, alongside the trade union movement and wider civic society. .
“I warmly welcome the decision by the PETI committee to support the petition, and await a response to the European Commission to this decision. ENDS
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Note to Editor:
More than 270,000 EU citizens supported the ECI.
The petitioner has asked:
1. Support our request for a written reply from the European Commission.
2. Support our request to send our "ECI turned into a petition" to the INTA Committee for its Opinion, and for the INTA Committee to consider the drafting of an INI Report.
3. Support keeping the "ECI turned into a Petition" open while waiting for the European Commission's written reply.
PETITIONER: Tom Moerenhout, one of the organisers of the ECI, presented the petition to the PETI meeting on April 26 via video link. Dr. Moerenhout is an Adjunct Associate Professor at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs.
The full petition text is as follows:
“We seek to regulate commercial transactions with Occupant’s entities based or operating in occupied territories by withholding products originating from there from entering the EU market. The Commission, as Guardian of the Treaties, has to ensure consistency of Union’s policy and compliance with fundamental rights and international law in all areas of EU law, including CCP. It must propose legal acts based on the Common Commercial Policy to prevent EU legal entities from both importing products originating in illegal settlements in occupied territories and exporting to such territories, in order to preserve the integrity of the internal market and to not aid or assist the maintenance of such unlawful situations. The initiative thus invites the Commission to submit a proposal for a legal act under the Common Commercial Policy which is general in nature and does not target a specific country or territory.”
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Climate and Energy, Darren O'Rourke TD, has said that the government is not doing enough to help struggling workers and families overwhelmed by the costs of energy.
He was speaking ahead of a Sinn Féin motion, to be debated in the Dáil on Wednesday, that calls on the government to intervene to reduce rip-off energy bills.
Teachta O'Rourke said:
“Households are struggling to keep their heads above water as government continues to prioritise the profits of energy companies over workers and families at every turn.
“Average gas and electricity bills have doubled over the last year to the point that the price of electricity here is the highest in Europe and the price of gas is eighth most expensive.
“There is no excuse for this. Wholesale prices of gas and electricity have fallen significantly - electricity by half - yet there have been no efforts to pass these savings on to consumers.
“As energy companies rack up eye-watering profits, the number of people living in energy poverty doubled over the last year and at its peak was a shameful record-breaking high of 40%.
“One in five Irish homes are now behind on their gas bills - of those 679,000 people that rely on gas to heat their homes, 139,785 were in arrears at the end of December with this rising to 152,276 by the end of February.
“The government can act to protect domestic consumers but instead continues to sit on its hands.
“Sinn Féin is calling on them to introduce a windfall tax which addresses the superprofits of energy companies.
“Government must also provide financial relief and certainty to households by reducing domestic electricity prices to their pre-Ukraine invasion levels and capping them at that level - as has been done in Germany, Austria and the Netherlands.
“They must also reverse the increase in carbon tax.
“They must also introduce new regulatory powers for the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities that empowers them to tackle instances of price-gouging and to ensure that it has the resources to do so.
“These are all sensible measures that the government can and must introduce to protect struggling households from greedy profiteering.’’
Sinn Féin's motion can be read here.
Sinn Féin MLA Pádraig Delargy has written to Queen's University calling on them to reverse its cut to staff pay while staff are campaigning for better pay and conditions.
The party’s Further & Higher Education spokesperson said:
"I have written to Queen’s University to express disappointment at the punitive decision to cut the pay of staff taking part in an examinations and assessment boycott.
“Queen’s University should reverse this decision and respect the right of workers to campaign for fair pay and conditions, similar to the approach taken by Ulster University.
“Staff and their unions have taken these steps as a last resort and continue to perform the majority of their duties including teaching.
“I would urge Queen’s University to work proactively with workers and the Universities and Colleges Union to find urgent solutions to deliver fair pay and conditions for the staff.”
