Sinn Fein spokesperson on Education, Sorca Clarke TD, today called on the Minister for Education to listen to the voices and opinions of our teachers as national conferences held this week gave voice to their growing concerns for themselves, their students and their profession.
Speaking today, the Longford-Westmeath TD said:
“Pay, conditions, class sizes, lack of teachers; these are the issues that are putting schools and teachers under strain and pushing our education system to a critical point.
“The cost-of-living crisis is having a detrimental impact on the teaching profession at all levels.
“The government’s insistence on continuing to enforce the lower salary scale for new teachers is undermining the profession and having a direct impact on the number of available teachers.
“The Minister and the government must not only listen but they must hear what the teachers of Ireland are saying.
“I reiterate the demands made for an increase in the services provided by the National Educational Psychological Service to all secondary schools to ensure sufficient SEN provision so that schools can provide inclusive education to all students.
“The lack of education funding in Ireland, where we invest 1% of GDP in second-level education compared to EU averages of 1.9%, is contributing to the devaluation of the teaching profession and the reason we find ourselves in the situation where newly qualified teachers are joining their nursing colleagues and emigrating.
“Sinn Féin understands the pressures teachers are feeling as class sizes continue to soar and teacher numbers dwindle. What is most concerning is that the government is making no effort to fix the problems facing our teachers and our education system.”
Sinn Féin MLA Deirdre Hargey has welcomed continued progress on the ‘exciting joint bid’ to host Euro 2028 in Ireland and Britain.
The party’s communities spokesperson said:
“I am pleased to see continued progress and support for the joint Ireland and Britain bid to host the Euro 2028 tournament.
“This is an exciting opportunity to showcase our island by hosting one of the biggest tournaments in international football and it cannot be missed.
“The potential to host multiple major fixtures at football stadiums across Ireland and Britain, including a newly built Casement Park, is a huge boost for local sport.
“Work to build the new Casement Park must begin urgently to ensure this first-class venue is ready for the potential of Euro 2028 fixtures being played there.
“If successful in the joint bid, we will attract thousands of football fans from across Europe to our towns and cities, creating jobs and boosting our local economy.
“I welcome the continued efforts of both the IFA and GAA in working in partnership to make this happen, with the support of all parties to get this over the line.”
First Minister Designate Michelle O’Neill has welcomed a recommitment from President Biden and the US administration to help attract investment and create jobs in the north as he celebrates 25 years of ‘transformative peace’ in Belfast today.
Michelle O’Neill said:
“President Biden’s visit to Belfast today is a special moment as we celebrate 25 years since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement and transformative peace on this island.
“I welcome the support and recommitment from Joe Biden today to work with us as we look towards the future with hope, ambition, and opportunity.
“I look forward to working with his administration to deepen further US investment, create good jobs and strengthen our economy to the benefit of everyone.
“We now have a strong economic advantage and unique access to trade in the world’s biggest economic markets – we need to seize that opportunity now.
“Our people and businesses need stability and they need local government now – there is an onus on the two governments and the DUP to get the institutions up and running.
“It is my absolute determination to work together to make politics work and to deliver for workers, families and businesses.”
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Agriculture, Claire Kerrane TD, has welcomed the launch of the new Irish Grown Wool Council (IGWC), following a meeting of stakeholders from the wool and sheep sector.
The all-island council will bring together industry representatives to build on the potential of the Irish wool sector, and will also look to improve the quality of Irish-farmed wool and facilitate collaboration in product and market research.
Teachta Kerrane said:
“The launch of the Irish Wool Council is a positive step forward for the sector and implements one of the key recommendations of the Wool Feasibility Study published last year.
“There is huge potential for Irish farmed wool as an indigenous industry, and the establishment of the council is a key part of realising that potential.
“Individuals and organisations involved in the wool and sheep sector have long called for action in this area and the establishment of the council is a good first step. Wool has many uses and there is the potential here to develop it domestically and internationally.
“We know that Irish wool has been undervalued. The launch of the IGWC will see research, innovation, and technical expertise to support the development of wool as a key industry across the island.
“The establishment of the council presents the opportunity to set the tone for ensuring a fair return for sheep farmers on their wool and produce.
“It is crucial that we now also see the introduction of greater supports for the wool and sheep sector, and this is something I will be holding the government to account on.”
Sinn Féin TD for Dublin Mid-West Mark Ward TD has called on the Minister for Health to prioritise investment in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to reduce extreme wait times for urgently needed mental health services in Dublin.
Teachta Ward was responding to new data released by Parliamentary Question to Sinn Féin spokesperson on Health David Cullinane TD, which shows that waiting lists for CAMHS are up 360% since January 2020 in CHO 7, which covers Dublin Mid-West.
Teachta Ward said:
“Child and adolescent mental health services are desperately underfunded.
“There are significant vacancies across existing CAMHS teams, and we do not have enough CAMHS teams across the state.
“Waiting lists for CAMHS have risen by 360% to 475 in January 2023 from 132 in January 2020.
“Urgent investment is needed in CAMHS to expand capacity and reduce wait times.
“5% of children in CHO 7, which covers Dublin Mid-West, are waiting longer than a year for their first appointment.
“There are more than 25 children waiting longer than a year, and more than 210 waiting longer than 3 months for an appointment.
“The Minister must produce a plan for capacity expansion and workforce planning to address these waiting lists.
“We do not have enough psychiatrists, psychologists, or specialists in mental health and disability. This is leading to children who need help being turned away from services.
“The Minister for Health must prioritise investment in CAMHS to reduce extreme wait times for urgently needed mental health services.
“Sinn Féin in government would invest in our health service, to ensure that all patients who require mental health treatment can receive high quality care without delay.”
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Communications and Transport, Martin Kenny TD, has welcomed approval by Government for the appointment of 75 additional driving testers.
Speaking today, Teachta Kenny said:
“The appointment of these 75 testers is welcome and will of course go some way to alleviate the waiting times currently faced by those on learner licences. However, it is important for us to see this in context.
“Applications for tests have risen steadily over the last number of years, and the Department have admitted that demand for tests has reached an unprecedented level. In 2022 alone there was a 28% increase on test applications compared with 2021.
“The additional 30 testers announced in July 2022 were not fully deployed within the current system until last month. The additional 75 testers announced today are not expected to be operating within the system until towards the end of this year.
“While I accept some of the backlog can be attributed to delays in testing due to pandemic restrictions, there was also a failure by the Department of Transport in terms of their workforce planning.
"They would have been aware that there was going to be an increase in learner drivers becoming eligible to take their full licence test in early 2022, but failed to plan for an increase in their workforce.
“Failing to plan and prepare has been a consistent theme throughout this Government's term, and the driver testing system is just the latest hallmark of this."
Making the Case for Irish Unity in the EU - Dublin Launch
The Sinn Féin MEP for Midlands Northwest, Chris MacManus and Mayo TD, Rose Conway-Walsh, are to host the launch of the new research document - “Making the Case for Irish Unity in the EU.”
The launch of the independent report “Making the Case for Irish Unity in the EU” by Professor Colin Harvey and Mr. Mark Bassett Barrister-at-Law will take place in the European Parliament Liaison Office in Dublin.
Speaking from Sligo, MacManus said:
“As an MEP representing the border region of Ireland, from a party which has a large number of elected representatives in both the north and south of Ireland, I have been following and working on the Brexit debate closely since I joined the Parliament. Protecting the Good Friday Agreement and Ireland from the harmful impacts of Brexit has been my primary priority.”
‘As we celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the historic Good Friday Agreement, I believe it is now time we embark on its next chapter. That is to plan and prepare for reunification. Therefore I am delighted we will be launching the independent report “Making the Case for Irish Unity in the EU” by Professor Colin Harvey and Mr. Mark Bassett Barrister-at-Law in the European Parliament Liaison Office in Dublin.”
Speaking from Mayo, Teachta Conway-Walsh said:
“The potential for Irish reunification is a fundamental part of the Good Friday Agreement.”
“There is a need for planning and preparation. This report makes an important contribution towards that body of work.”
“The report makes it clear that there are existing assurances from the EU that Ireland as a whole would have automatic full membership within the EU following a successful reunification referendum.”
“The report also makes the case for the EU taking a positive and explicitly supportive stance towards Irish reunification as it has taken an active role in promoting peace and reconciliation through EU funding programmes.
“Planning for Irish Unity remains the responsibility of the Irish Government. However, an important contribution can be made by the EU in areas of exclusive or shared competence under EU treaties.” CRÍOCH/ENDS
Where: European Parliament Liaison Office, 12-14 Lower Mount Street Dublin D02 W710
When: 12h30 Friday April 21
D’fhiafraigh urlabhraí Gaeilge, Gaeltachta, Ealaíon agus Cultúir Shinn Féin, Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD ar an tAire Catherine Martin folúntas an Choimisinéara Teanga a fhógairt ar an bpointe boise agus Coimisinéir nua a earcú gan mhoill.
Dúirt Ó Snodaigh, atá mar Chathaoirleach ar Chomhchoiste Oireachtais na Gaeilge, na Gaeltachta agus Phobail Labhartha na Gaeilge:
“Tá sé thar a bheith tubaisteach go bhfuil sé nochtaithe ag Tuairisc.ie nach bhfuil tús curtha go fóill le fógrú an fholúntais do ról an Choimisinéara dhá mí tar éis do Rónán Ó Domhnaill éirí as, agus go bhfuil seans ann nach mbeidh Coimisinéir nua againn go dtí Deireadh Fómhair na bliana seo toisc moilleadóireacht ón Aire.
“Gan Coimisinéir ceaptha, ní feidir le hOifig an Choimisinéara Teanga tuarascálacha nó imscrúdaithe a fhoilsiú, rud a chiallaíonn nach mbeidh feidhm ag an cosaint is láidre atá ann do chearta Gaeilgeoirí sa tír seo.
“Tagann an moilleadóireacht seo anuas ar an bhfadhb a bhí againn ó thaobh Bord Údaráis na Gaeltachta a líonadh cúpla mí ó shin a d’fhág muid gan cruinnithe nó cinnithe, agus tá patrún á cruthú ag an Roinn Gaeltachta nach bhfuil sé de chumas nó de nós acu tabhairt faoi fholúntais a líonadh a luaithe is a tharlaíonn siad chun a chinntiú gur féidir le heagrais riachtanacha Gaeilge/Gaeltachta feidhmiú.
“Bhain Rónán Ó Domhnaill éacht amach san obair a rinne sé i bpost an Choimisinéara Teanga ó thosaigh sé sa bhliain 2014 tar éis gur éirigh Seán Ó Cuirreáin as, agus ní raibh ach cúpla seachtain i gceist idir an dá Coimisinéir a bheith in oifig an tráth sin. Ní léir cad ba chúis leis an mhoill anois, ach ar a laghad beidh Rónán Ó Domhnaill in ann tabhairt faoi meáin na Gaeilge a chur chun cinn sa ról nua atá aige mar Choimisinéir de chuid Coimisiún na Meán.
“In aineoinn gur tugadh aitheantas do thábhacht agus éifeacht na Choimisinéara Teanga nuair ar tugadh cumhachtaí breise dó in Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla (Leasú) 2021, tar éis do Sinn Féin brú a chur ar an rialtas, is léir nach aitheantas nó príoracht ceart atá ann ina leith, nó bheadh an ceapachán de Choimisinéir Teanga úr tarlaithe cheanna.
“Níl leithscéal ar bith ag an Aire, mar is ise a cheap Rónán Ó Domhnaill ina Coimisinéír de chuid Coimisiún na Meán agus dá réir ba chóir gur léir don Aire Martin folúntas a bheith cruthaithe ach níor chinn sí deileál leis. Ní léir ar déanadh dearmad an próiséas aimniúchán a thosnú, an easpa treoir ón aire, neamh-inniúlacht, easpa meas nó eile a bhí í taobh thiar gan an folúntas a líonadh.”
First Minister Designate Michelle O’Neill has said President Biden’s visit to the north on the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement is a ‘special moment’ and said it is now time to look to the next 25 years with hope, opportunity and ambition.
Speaking ahead of the Joe Biden’s arrival in Belfast, Michelle O’Neill said:
“I am delighted to welcome President Biden to Belfast which cements our close bonds of friendship and our partnership for peace and prosperity with the United States of America.
“To have him come to mark 25 years of peace and the signing of the Good Friday Peace Accord of 1998 and to address both houses of the Oireachtas is a special moment.
“This historic peace accord which was painstakingly negotiated at that time was made possible due to the vast and substantial contribution from the United States under the administration of President Clinton.
“As we look back with pride at just how far we have all come, and all that has been achieved, we also look forward with hope, ambition, and opportunity for the next twenty-five years.
“I welcome the commitment of President Biden to this work through his appointment of Special Envoy Joe Kennedy III and I look forward to working with him now to deepen further US investment and economic growth to the benefit of all our communities.
“We have developed close economic ties with US companies over the past two decades who have chosen the north as their gateway to Europe, creating thousands of good jobs.
“The new deal between Brussels and London gives us a huge competitive advantage as a gateway to Europe for the sale of goods to two of the world’s largest markets unimpeded.
“We must use this opportunity to attract investment, create jobs for our young people, and together deliver the change people demand and rightfully deserve.
“Peace, stability and economic opportunity are all connected and the onus is on the governments, parties and not least the DUP to restore the Executive and other GFA institutions so that we can push on and get back to business.
“As an incoming First Minister, I am absolutely determined to work with others to make politics work, and to serve every single citizen. It is time to form an Executive now to support workers, families and communities.”
Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald TD addressed the 100th anniversary commemoration held in honour of Liam Lynch in Anglesboro, Co Limerick, today.
Her full address is below:
Bailíonnemar le chéile inniu le cuimhniú ar an ard saighdiúir cróga Liam Lynch, a sheas don Phoblacht agus a choinnigh greim daingean ar aisling neamhspleáchas na hÉireann.
Seasaimid le chéile gan éide bhróin a dhéanamh don tírghráthóir ach chun athnuachan a dhéanamh ar an ngealltanas álainn a thug sé a shaol dó.
Éire atá saor, aontaithe le cothrom na féinne.
A chairde,
The landscape of Ireland is imprinted with the legends and legacy of our revolutionary patriots.
Our hills and our glens, our lane ways and our boreens, our valleys and our mountainsides chorus with the memory of our gallant volunteers.
Those who took on the might of the British Empire and who fought with great honour for the freedom of Ireland and her people. For the Republic.
We stand at the foot of the Galtee mountains - a range steeped in the folklore of Irish Republicanism, and which often sheltered the Flying Columns.
It was in the shadow of these mountains, in the village of Barnagurraha, that one of Ireland greatest sons, Liam Lynch was born.
Just as the colonisation of Ireland drove Gaels to the West and to the safety of the mountains, so too did Liam Lynch, and volunteers loyal to the Republic, seek shelter following the fall of Dublin to the Free State.
First in the territory of the “Munster Republic”, and then, as they fell back, to their most familiar territory, the glens, and the mountains.
It was fated the mountain ranges of Munster would bookend the life of General Liam Lynch.
It was on the windswept slopes of the Knockmealdown Mountains that Lynch made his final stand for the Republic.
One hundred years ago today, in the early hours of April 10, 1923, the farmhouse in which Liam and his comrades hid, was surrounded by a contingent of Free State Soldiers.
To evade capture, Lynch who was by then leader of the anti-treaty forces, and his comrades took flight across the Knockmealdowns.
Two hundred yards up the mountains, Free State soldiers opened fire. In the gun battle that ensued, Lynch fell to the ground, mortally wounded.
He implored his friends to escape without him.
Later that evening, in the custody of the Free State, Liam Lynch, proud solider of the Irish Republic, took his final breath at St Joseph’s Hospital in Clonmel.
His last request was to be buried in Fermoy beside his great friend, Michael Fitzgerald who had died on hunger strike in 1920.
Liam Lynch’s fight for the Republic was over.
So too, effectively was the Civil War.
A contemporary would remark, “with Liam's death I knew the end of the Civil War had come. Only his iron will had kept it going these last few months".
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Liam Lynch was born into the heritage of Irish rebellion. His father was a Fenian. His mother was a member of the radical Land League.
He joined the Irish Volunteers in 1915.
It was his witnessing, in Fermoy, of the arrest and brutal treatment of Thomas Kent following the Easter Rising, and Kent's eventual execution, which intensified Liam’s Republicanism.
As a gifted military leader, first as Officer Commanding of the Cork No.2 Brigade and then as Commander of the Southern Division, Lynch helped orchestrate some of the most daring operations of the Tan War.
His talent for coordination and strategy was evident as he travelled relentlessly between the nine brigades under his command.
Bolstering their capacity and their arms became his raison d'etre. Lynch gave everything in the fight to overthrow British Rule in Ireland.
When he received word of the Truce in July 1921, he believed the cessation to be temporary, and ordered volunteers under his command to ready themselves to resume the fight.
Lynch ultimately viewed the Treaty, and the Dáil vote of January 7, 1922, as a betrayal of the Republic.
His refusal to trade independent Republic for dominion Free State is best captured in his words from years earlier, “We have declared for a Republic, we will not live under any other law.”
Liam worked hard to avoid a split in the Republican movement and to prevent a descent into the tragedy of a bitter Civil War.
Sadly, he failed.
The Free State’s bombardment of the Republican Garrison in Dublin’s Four Courts sparked the Civil War.
A counter-revolution backed by British imperialists and wealthy economic interests who were determined that the nation’s future would be written by the powerful and not by the ordinary people of Ireland.
A future in which the full freedom would be denied.
It was a future that Liam Lynch could not abide.
So, he fought on.
Some have sought to denigrate Lynch as a zealot who couldn’t see the wood for the trees.
But Lynch saw it all.
The dream of the Republic traded for a partitioned, conservative Ireland in which working people were kept down and impoverished, where equality would be denied, and the status quo maintained.
As he held tightly to his principles, Lynch’s heart broke for the viciousness of the conflict between former comrades,
for the Free State’s cruel execution of republicans,
for a war characterized by bloody reprisals, and by the incarceration of hundreds of patriots.
Lynch lamented the turning of Irishmen against Irishmen, and all that was lost as a result.
This was the heartbreak through which Liam soldiered-on, even in the face of looming defeat.
Against the overwhelming military power of the Free State, the Munster Republic could not hold.
With each backward step, so retreated Liam Lynch, his comrades, and the light of freedom.
When Free State bullets pierced the body of Liam Lynch, on that faithful morning, 100 years ago, they pierced the heart of the resistance.
A few short weeks later, the order was given for Republican volunteers to dump arms and to stand down. The fight for the Republic was laid low.
As Lynch lay dying, he lamented, "All this is a pity, it never should have happened. I’m glad now I’m going from it all. Poor Ireland!
The aftermath of Lynch’s death is wrapped in personal tragedy also. Liam had promised to marry his sweetheart and local girl, Birdie Keyes when the war was over. It was a promise he never got to keep.
The Civil War is a bitter, traumatic, divisive chapter in our history for which we must now find a place of reconciliation and forgiveness. To come together to really heal the scars passed down through generations.
It was in this spirit, that on the same weekend we remembered the volunteers massacred at Ballyseedy, I joined with the relatives of those Free State soldiers killed at Knocknagoshel to lay a wreath in their memory.
Today, we stand together again in Anglesborough, near the birthplace of one of Ireland’s greatest patriots.
We stand together for Irish freedom.
For equality and unity.
For the Republic.
We also stand for reconciliation, for a new understanding, to find common purpose. We are mindful of the past and together we seek to chart a new future.
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I believe that this generation of Irish people will collapse the divisions so carefully fostered between us.
We will achieve a real union between the Orange and the Green, and between all the communities of Ireland.
We will build a nation home for all our people.
We were fated to stand in Anglesborough today, on the centenary of Liam Lynch and on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the historic Good Friday Agreement.
It is our presence here with hopeful hearts that connects the branches of our history.
The Good Friday Agreement delivered peace, transformed Ireland, and shines still as beacon of hope for the future.
Thanks to courageous peacemakers, an entire generation has grown up free of conflict.
Today’s political leaders owe it to a new generation to recapture the spirit and determination of 1998.
We owe it to our young people to make progress happen.
The true test of political leadership is to make things better for our children. It is a test to which we must all rise
By restoring the political institutions, we can move forward. We can make politics work for everyone. That is what Martin McGuinness did. That is what Ian Paisley did, and this generation must make power sharing work once more.
Together, we have built the peace.
Now is the time to write the next chapter - the reunification of our country.
I believe that the Unity Referendums provided for by the Good Friday Agreement will happen in this decade.
It is therefore vital that the Irish government establishes a Citizens’ Assembly to advance an inclusive, all of society national conversation, vital that government plans and prepares for peaceful, democratic constitutional change.
To prepare for Irish Unity.
*****************
Change is unfolding before our very eyes.
When we stood to commemorate the 90th anniversary of Liam Lynch, who would have imagined that Michelle O’Neill, a Republican woman, would today stand elected as First Minister designate in a state designed to ensure that it could never happen.
Michelle stands ready to lead an Executive for all. The DUP must end its boycott of the political institutions and join with us around the Executive table to deliver the government and the progress the people of the north voted for and to which they are entitled.
Who would have believed when we stood here ten years ago, that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael would no longer have everything their own way, and that Sinn Féin would be leading the opposition in the Dáil as Ireland's most supported party.
Well, Irish Republicans believed and with the support of the people crying out for change, we made it happen.
Sinn Féin is ambitious for Ireland. I believe that there is no limit to what we can achieve if we do it together.
Those who stand against the tide of change have had their day.
The decision by this government to put thousands of working families, single people, and pensioners at risk of eviction shows that this government is not on the side of ordinary people, and it never will be.
We will continue to fight this cruel decision tooth and nail.
Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have been in power for far too long. The longer they remain in office the more damage they will do.
North and South, Sinn Féin seeks to deliver governments of change
Governments driven by the timeless values of the Irish people - kindness, community, tolerance, and compassion.
Governments that will lead the creation of a new, united Ireland where workers and families come first.
An Ireland of prosperity where nobody is left behind, and where our young people can build a good future at home.
An Ireland where you can put a secure, affordable roof over your head,
where you receive healthcare as a right,
and where we have an economy that works for everyone fuelled by good jobs, decent wages, and the advancement of workers’ rights.
********************
Friends, in so many ways, the things our revolutionaries fought for one hundred years ago and the very things we fight for today.
As James Connolly put it, “For our demands most moderate are, we only want the Earth.”
Today, we honour the dream for which Liam Lynch and his comrades fought on.
Together, we rekindle the flame of freedom.
It burns brightly and lights the final length of the journey to the Republic, a road we now walk together.
In finishing this journey, we transform the mournful lament of Liam Lynch into a song of hope and an anthem of change for a new generation.
Friends, we have never been closer to the Republic. Never closer to uniting our country and our people.
We believe in Ireland.
We live for Ireland.
We will achieve for Ireland.
And with one last generational effort, together we will realise the Irish Republic in our time.
Go raibh míle maith agat go léir agus An Phoblacht Abú.
Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald TD addressed the party's annual commemoration of the 1916 Rising at Arbour Hill today.
Her full address is below:
A chairde, an Domhnach Cásc seo bailíonnemar le chéile ar thalamh beannaithe Cnoc an Arbhair chun na hÓglaigh cróga a throid a chomóradh sa Éirí Amach 1916 ar son Phoblacht na hÉireann.
Inniu, i ngach tríocha dó contae, seasann poblachtánaigh chun comóradh a dhéanamh ar na glúine tírghráthóir a lorg saoirse na hÉireann.
Seasaimid le chéile gan éide bhróin a dhéanamh, ach i spiorad an dóchais, muinín, agus misneach gur muide an ghlúin a bhainfidh saoirse iomlán, aontacht agus náisiúnacht amach.
A chairde,
The place at which we gather today carries the legacy of Ireland’s proud revolutionary past and Ireland's hopeful promise of a better future, a future defined by equality, economic justice, full Irish freedom, and unity.
A future shaped by the opportunities, progress and prosperity that were denied to generations of Irish people.
It was for that promise, for that vision of Ireland’s future, that the rebels who lie here fought and died.
Every nation has its sacred soil, its holy turf; places that evoke the sacrifice, courage and noble idealism of those patriots who went before us. For the people of Ireland, Arbour Hill is such a hallowed place.
Today, we walked from Moore Street.
The terrace there was the final meeting place of 1916 leaders.
It is a national monument. Sanctified ground that belongs to the people of Ireland, to future generations, not to property developers intent on paving over our revolutionary history for profit.
This is the fate to which Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have left Moore Street. We will never accept that.
We will continue to fight for history’s streets and laneways to be transformed into a historical and cultural quarter.
Across the Liffey, the yard at Kilmainham Gaol still rings with the gunshots that cut down the lives of the leaders of the Easter Rising. Arbour Hill still echoes with the travesty of their burial.
Without rite or coffin, the bodies of fourteen patriots and leaders were cast into a quicklime grave.
No funerals. No chance for family and loved ones to say a final goodbye.
This was the fate of all seven signatories of the Proclamation following their executions. Those hopeful authors of a parchment that was not only a notice of insurrection but also a blueprint for change, a beautifully expressed vision for a new Ireland.
Through a hastened and undignified burial, the British sought to ensure the sacrifices of those rebels wouldn’t become an inspiration for further revolution.
They believed that they could quench the flame of freedom lit by the Easter Rising.
They were wrong.
They succeeded only in igniting the prophetic words delivered by Pearse at the graveside of O’Donovan Rossa the year previous.
“Life springs from death; and from the graves of patriot men and women spring living nations.”
It is from the graves at which we now stand that sprung the spirit of liberty that drove the Irish revolution.
The rebellion of Easter Week was a watershed moment.
It changed the course of Irish history.
To quote Yeats, “all changed, changed utterly. A terrible beauty is born.”
It was here on the cobbled streets of Dublin, that the Irish Republic was born, where it lived and breathed for six days, where gallant volunteers gave their lives in the hope that the Republic would not be swept from the Earth. That the Republic would endure.
It was this noble vision that inspired the volunteers of the Irish Republican Army to resurrect the fight for freedom in the war against the Black and Tans.
It sustained Republicans through bitter Civil War and Counter Revolution one hundred years ago.
Many republicans jailed by the Free State during the Civil War dated their prison journals ‘year six’ and ‘year seven’ of the Republic. Even in the throes of tragic defeat the dream of the Republic lived on.
It was this dream that spoke to the bold Robert Emmet who looked British rule square in the eye as he delivered his rousing Speech from the Dock.
It steadied the heart of Young Kevin Barry as he faced the hangman’s noose.
It arrived as a lark's song to ears of Bobby Sands and his comrades as they lay starved and brutalised in their Long kesh cells.
Generations of struggle linked by the belief in a shared dream.
Generations of Irish Republican change-makers writing their chapter, walking their length of the journey to a new, united Ireland.
**********
It now falls to our generation to be the change-makers worthy of that dream, to complete the unfinished business of 1916.
Those who fought and died for the Republic did the extraordinary, but they were ordinary people.
They had to work to put food on the table. They had rent to pay. They had children to raise. The Rising did not happen in the abstract. It happened amidst the struggles of everyday life.
Today is no different.
It is that enduring desire for change that drives Sinn Féin’s ambition to lead government, north and south.
Fine Gael, and Fianna Fáil have governed for the last century.
They have driven perpetual crises in housing and healthcare.
Our young people see a government devoid of energy and ambition.
Unable to put a secure, affordable roof over their heads, unable to strike out on their own, many now seek their shot at a better life in the US, Canada, or Australia.
The cruel decision of government to end the Eviction Ban speaks volumes.
It puts thousands of working families, single people, and pensioners at risk of losing their homes. It is devastating.
Seven thousand households face eviction over the next three months, and the government is unable to answer the question - where are people meant to go?
What kind of government does this to a family with a six-month-old baby and another child with Autism?
To an eighty-five-year-old man and his seventy-three-year-old wife?
To a mother fighting cancer?
The answer is - a government that sees housing only as a commodity, not as a basic right of citizens.
A government led by parties who cling to power and resist change at all costs.
We will continue to fight this cruel decision with everything we’ve got.
Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have been in power for far too long. The longer they are in office the more damage they will do.
That’s why we need change like never before.
We need a government with the vision, energy, and determination to fix housing, to fix healthcare and build a fairer economy that works for everyone.
A government that really sees our young people, gets the challenges they face, and responds with urgency to allow them to fulfil their potential.
A government that will get the basics right in the here and now, and drive ambitious, positive plans for the future.
Sinn Féin wants to lead that government for change.
Sinn Féin is ready. Ready to lead. Ready to get the job done.
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Last year’s Assembly Election swept away the old certainties.
Today, Michelle O’Neill stands elected as First Minister designate in a state that was designed to ensure that this could never happen.
Well, it did happen, and now Michelle stands ready to lead an Executive for all.
An Executive that will roll up its sleeves and get down to the hard work of delivering real improvements in people’s lives.
An Executive that will tackle the crisis in healthcare, create new jobs and unleash the potential of a generation.
Huge economic and investment opportunities lie ahead but they will only be realised with an Executive in place.
I again call on the DUP to end its damaging boycott of the democratic institutions. To join with Sinn Féin, and with other parties, to deliver the government that people want and need.
On the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, the political institutions should be up and running.
The Agreement brought an end to a terrible conflict.
It delivered peace.
It transformed Ireland.
It transcended the hurt and division of the past and shone as a beacon of hope for a better future.
Thanks to that era of heroic peacemakers, an entire generation has grown-up free of conflict.
Today’s political leaders now owe it to a new generation to recapture the spirit and determination of 1998.
We owe it to our young people to overcome our differences and to make progress happen.
The true test of political leadership is to make things better for our children. It’s a test to which we must all rise.
By restoring the institutions, we can move forward. We can make politics work for everyone. That is what Martin McGuinness did. That is what Ian Paisley did, and this generation must make power sharing work once more.
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The Good Friday Agreement shows how much can be achieved when we act with common purpose.
We have built the peace.
Now, we look to write the next chapter - the reunification of Ireland.
I believe that we will see Unity referendums in the next decade.
To win these referendums, and win them well, republicans will have to reach out, create space for others and build alliances right across society.
We want to create a nation home for all our people, where the rights of everyone are protected and advanced.
There is no room for trading one form of discrimination for another.
We want an end to second class citizenship in all its forms.
To build opportunities for everyone.
A new Ireland based on the vision of Tone, an enduring reconciliation and a real union between the Orange and the Green, and between every community on this island.
I want to speak directly to Unionists, and to others who remain unconvinced of reunification.
I ask you to join what is the most important discussion of our generation.
This is your future too.
Your culture, your traditions, your history matter.
Your voice, your opinions, and your ideas matter.
Be part of what is an exciting, positive, and engaging discussion.
The very best forum for the Unity conversation is a Citizens’ Assembly.
It would be an inclusive forum for positive discussions on what a new, united Ireland would look like.
Let me be very clear, if this government refuses to establish a Citizens’ Assembly on Irish Unity, a Sinn Féin government will.
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Friends,
The change sweeping across Ireland is led by ordinary people.
By workers, families and communities determined to achieve a new Ireland.
An Ireland that is fairer, stronger, and better for everyone.
A united Ireland of equals.
This is the rising of a new generation.
A rising fuelled by the enduring values of the Irish people - community, compassion, togetherness, and kindness.
We seek to build the Irish nation anew. To end partition in our time. To unite our people and our country.
The gravesides of our patriots are not monuments at which to stand and lament. Rather they are signposts to the future that we will achieve together.
A nation is a living, breathing thing.
It pulses through the hopes of its people to endure, to continue, to reach its destiny, and we will not write the epitaphs of those who lie here until Ireland - united and free - takes its rightful place amongst the nations of the world.
That was the goal of Easter 1916. It is the goal now, and my friends, it will remain the goal until the day it is achieved.
Go raibh míle maith agaibh go leir agus An Phoblacht abú!
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Health, David Cullinane TD, has said Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly needs to take his head out of the sand and stop deflecting blame for government's housing failures on to opposition.
Deputy Cullinane’s comments come following the Minister’s assertion that Sinn Féin ‘need the housing crisis’ - ignoring the INMO citing the lack of affordable housing as a huge problem in recruiting nurses - while also falsely claiming waiting lists are coming down.
Teachta Cullinane said:
“For the Minister for Health to say Sinn Féin needs the housing crisis is a pathetic response while thousands of households across the state suffer the consequences of his government’s decision to end the eviction ban.
“Healthcare workers are among those suffering the most - people whose interests the Minister should be standing up for at the cabinet table.
“That is what he should be doing instead of taking tone deaf cheap shots at the opposition.
“Nurses and other healthcare workers are emigrating in their droves as a direct result of working conditions in our hospitals and the government’s failure to tackle the housing crisis.
“The INMO has cited the housing crisis and the lack of affordable housing across our cities, towns and rural communities as a huge stumbling block to attracting nurses into our public hospitals.
“They are right, and the Minister should take responsibility for his government’s failures.
“The truth is we need a government that is committed to solving the crisis and building the homes we need.
“Instead, this government has failed to reach its own social and affordable housing targets, which are too low in the first instance, and they underspent on the capital allocation for housing by €1bn.
“The government is presiding over a housing disaster which is creating enormous challenges in all areas of the economy, including recruiting and retaining workers in our public service - nurses, teachers and Gardaí.
“The Minister also claimed waiting lists are decreasing. This simply isn’t true. The latest outpatient figures showed the total number of people on waiting lists increased to 596,099 in February, up from 589,670 the previous month.
“Minister Donnelly needs to take his head out of the sand, address the long health waiting lists, the overcrowding in our hospitals and stop blaming the opposition for his government’s failures.”
Sinn Féin Leader Mary Lou McDonald is attending today’s event in Stormont, organised by Assembly Speaker Alex Maskey to mark the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. Speaking in advance she said “Today’s political leaders need to recapture the spirit and determination that was seen on this weekend twenty five years ago.”
Teachta McDonald said:
“This weekend we mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, an agreement that delivered peace and transformed Ireland. To this day, it stands as an historic, international success story in peace-making - a blueprint for the resolution of even the most intractable of conflicts. The agreement is a testament to what can be achieved when people come together in the spirit of hope. It made progress possible. It made change possible.
“Twenty five years ago political leaders showed huge courage not just in signing a peace accord but in establishing the power sharing political institutions. As a result of their work the Good Friday Agreement generation has grown up free of conflict, in a very different world full of hope and opportunity.
“We need to see that same courage and determination today. Today’s political leaders need to recapture the spirit and determination that was seen on this weekend twenty five years ago. It is almost a year since the Assembly elections took place and this weekend the world is looking on in disbelief as power sharing institutions continue to be blocked.
“We need to restore the political institutions. We need progress. We need ambition.
“There is huge international goodwill towards Ireland, a huge appetite for progress, for investment but the economic opportunities that exist will not last forever and will only be properly realised with functioning institutions in place. So let’s take this opportunity to work for all, to attract investment, to create jobs, to deliver change, to plan for the future.
“Twenty-five years ago, a generation wrote a ground-breaking chapter in Ireland’s story. Now is the time to write the next chapter - the reunification of our country. Here in our time, we can build the nation home.”
MEP MacManus welcomes news of new home For Dundalk Men’s Shed
Sinn Féin MEP Chris MacManus has welcomed the news that a new home has been found for Dundalk Men’s Shed. The Midlands Northwest representative recently visited Shed members at their former premises in Seatown, and said that this news will come as a relief to all in the local community.
MEP MacManus said:
“I recently visited Dundalk Men’s Shed at their former premises in Seatown with my colleague Ruairí Ó Murchú TD. They were in the process of clearing out the premises when I visited as they had been asked by the property owners to vacate and were extremely concerned that they would have nowhere to go."
“I was delighted to hear the news this week that they have found a new home in Muirhevnamor on the Community Gardens site. I would like to commend all involved in the shed and my colleagues Ruairí Ó Murchú and Cllr Kevin Meenan for all their hard work to secure this new space."
“The importance of promoting social inclusion as we emerge from the pandemic should not be underestimated. Men’s Sheds allow elderly people to actively participate in their local communities, provide them with a sense of belonging, and are a fantastic asset to any local area."
“The men I met with in Dundalk spoke passionately about the positive impact the shed has had for the mental well-being of local elderly men. There was something for everybody there, whether it was art, woodwork or just a cup of tea. They described how some men would have ended up in care by now if it was not for the men’s shed."
“This underlined the importance of the shed to the local community and this news will come as a relief to all in Dundalk. I wish all involved in Dundalk Men’s Shed the very best as they settle in to their new home. ENDS
See attached photo of (L-R): Chris MacManus MEP, Gene Yore, Peter O’Neill (Chair), Ruairí Ó Murchú TD and John Freeman at Dundalk Men’s Shed former premises at Seatown
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Finance, Pearse Doherty TD, has called on the Government to introduce targeted and temporary mortgage interest relief to support homeowners with rising interest costs.
The Donegal TD was speaking as new analysis suggests up to 60,000 homeowners have their mortgages held by vulture funds, with no ability to switch lender.
Speaking today, Teachta Doherty said:
“New research by money advice and broker site MoneySherpa.ie suggests that up to 60,000 mortgage-holders are trapped with vultures funds and unable to switch to a different lender.
“These homeowners are now being charged interest rates as high as 9.25 percent, with many to pay thousands of euros in additional interest costs this year.
“Many of these homeowners have no ability to switch or fix their rates.
“Rising interest rates are heaping additional pressure on households that are already struggling with the cost of living crisis.
“Others will see their interest rates increase in the coming period.
“Already, Irish mortgage-holders are charged interest rates that are 50 percent higher than the European average.
“Now is the time to introduce targeted and temporary mortgage interest relief to cushion the blow of these rising interest costs.”
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Finance, Pearse Doherty TD, has called for policy interventions to protect consumers against the rise in scams and fraud.
This comes as Bank of Ireland warns its customers of a wave of fraudulent text messages urging customers to pay outstanding toll charges or update their account details.
Teachta Doherty said:
“Financial fraud and scams are on the rise, posing a growing threat to customers.
“Citizens are now being robbed of millions of euros a year by fraudsters.
“Today’s warning by Bank of Ireland of fraudulent text messages being sent to their customers seeking outstanding toll charges and account details is yet another example of the lengths fraudsters are going to in order to rob citizens,
“People are now faced with a cocktail of tactics being employed by fraudsters – from phishing and vishing to smishing.
“Only last month, FraudSMART warned of highly convincing investment scams which used brochures circulated online that targeted over-55s with a minimum investment of €20,000.
“These scams are being advertised online, on social media, by email and text message. Action must be taken to protect citizens.
“When will mobile providers, online platforms and social media companies take responsibility for the fraudulent content that is being advertised through their platforms to rob citizens?
“There is no requirement for mobile providers, online platforms, social media companies to pay compensation to victims of fraud – that needs to change.
“There is also no requirement for payment service providers to pay compensation to victims of authorised push payment fraud – something that will soon be in place for consumers in the North.
“And we have no system to cross-check the name of the person victims send their money to against the name on the actual account – this is called Confirmation of Payee and has been successfully introduced in the Netherlands and Britain.
“These are actions that could be introduced to protect customers from the rising threat of scams and fraud.”
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Workers’ Rights, Senator Paul Gavan, said a report into the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis, and the invasion of Ukraine reinforces the need for a living wage and collective bargaining rights.
Senator Gavan said:
“Today’s report from the National Economic and Social Economic Council (NESC) into the overall economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis, and the invasion of Ukraine reinforces the need for a living wage and collective bargaining rights.
“For some time, Sinn Féin has been highlighting the economic and social impact of low pay.
“This impact not just directly affects workers and families, but it affects the public purse through top-ups and supports the state must pay to subsidise workers where employers pay them poorly.
“The report from NESC reinforces the harmful economic impact of low-pay and precarious work and states that income insecurity within the labour market is associated with growing levels of societal inequality.
“Not only does the report advise the government to carry out further research into the prevalence of low pay and precarious work, but it also calls for investigation into the impact of low pay on productivity.
“The one criticism I would make in relation to the report is the use of the term ‘bad jobs’ to refer broadly to precarious work and low paid employment.
“While such terminology is borrowed from academic research, I am of the firm belief that there are only badly paid jobs with poor pay and conditions, not bad jobs.
“It is clear from the report that measures such as introducing a living wage and collective bargaining rights for workers' trade unions can help in terms of addressing the negative economic impacts of low pay and precarious work.”
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Agriculture, Claire Kerrane TD, has called on the Minister for Agriculture to engage with Farmers following the publication of a Citizens' Assembly report on biodiversity loss.
The report makes recommendations on biodiversity, many of which relate to agriculture, forestry, peatlands and other rural focuses.
Teachta Kerrane said:
“It is useful to have a report from the Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity loss, and to have a set of recommendations that will now be brought before an Oireachtas Committee for further scrutiny, and this is essential.
“It is also crucial to ensure that farmers are part of the next steps following the report and its recommendations. Farmers are the custodians of the land and they, above anyone, have been the ones protecting it for generations. Their voices must be heard.
“Some of the recommendations in the report require greater scrutiny. I am concerned at the idea of the introduction of a levy on agricultural exports which, to me, is a further charge on farmers, many of whom are struggling with rising costs and in some cases are making little or no profit. Again, this points to an attitude of putting it on the farmer, rather than taking farmers along with us.
“Agriculture is a key driver of economic activity in rural communities especially, penalising farmers with additional levies has a knock-on effect well beyond the farm gate.
“The recommendation to make all biodiversity incentives results-based also needs to be examined closely, some factors like weather are outside of a farmer’s control and can have an impact on results and therefore, income support.
“There are welcome recommendations in this report too, increased funding to support greater and more ambitious biodiversity targets, rewarding farmers for protecting and enhancing biodiversity, and subsidising and incentivising organic farming as an option for farmers.
“One of the farming voices included in the report states that ‘engagement is key’, which really rings true when it comes to finding collaborative solutions for supporting biodiversity.
“I am urging Minister McConalogue to commit to engaging extensively with the farming community on these recommendations and to gain their insights, experiences and expertise around biodiversity in rural areas.
“It should also be ensured that the report is presented to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture as soon as possible.”
Speaking after a series of meetings with business stakeholders, enterprise agencies, and the Irish Consulate in San Francisco, Sinn Féin spokesperson on Enterprise, Trade, and Employment, Louise O’Reilly TD, praised the strong business relationship between Ireland and America and pointed out the symbiotic benefits of the relationship.
Teachta O’Reilly said:
“The relationship between the island of Ireland and America is a deep and meaningful one. The countries share much in terms of history and have many common bonds.
“Commerce and enterprise are an example of an extremely meaningful connection between the two countries.
“Yesterday I held a full day of meetings in San Francisco to discuss this relationship.
“Across the day I met with representatives of the Bay Area Council, IDA Ireland, and Enterprise Ireland.
“The meetings covered a variety of topics such as the volatility affecting the tech sector, banking turbulation in America and Europe, inward investment, scope for growing Irish SME exports to North America, and the housing crisis.
“I look forward to making more connections in the coming days with business stakeholders and engaging with the vibrant Irish-American community in San Francisco about Irish Unity.”
Sinn Féin MLA Deirdre Hargey has expressed deep concern at uncertainty facing community workers as a result of Tory Budget cuts.
Speaking after meeting with representatives of Neighbourhood Renewal Partnerships, the party’s communities spokesperson said:
“I met with community workers today from Neighbourhood Renewal Partnerships across the north whose staff are on three-month contracts and have no certainty on the future.
“This is deeply worrying for these workers at a time when people are already squeezed due to rising living costs and household pressures.
“But it is also deeply concerning for the local communities who rely on the frontline services that these workers and organisations deliver and the major regeneration and transformation work that they continue to deliver in all areas.
“It’s unacceptable that our public services and department have been left at the mercy of an unadulterated Tory Budget from London and with no local ministers to take decisions.
“We need the Executive restored now and parties working together to protect our public services and our communities from savage Tory cuts.”
