Category: Press Releases

The press release issued by Sinn Fein on 21 November 2022.

Sinn Féin MLA Ciara Ferguson has slammed those responsible for a security alert near Lisnagelvin in the Waterside on Sunday night.

The Foyle MLA said:

“Last night’s security alert at Richill Park in the Waterside was totally wrong and I condemn it.

“My thoughts are also with the man who was forced by armed men to drive to the local police station.

“This action has only served to cause huge disruption with many people being forced from their homes on a cold and wet Sunday night and children’s education being impacted as a local school is now closed today.

“Those responsible for this attack have absolutely no regard for the local community.

“Their only focus is on dragging us back to the past. They will not succeed.

“We must all unite against the reckless actions of recent days. We have a responsibility to keep building the peace and moving forward together to build a new and better future for all.

“I would urge everyone to co-operate with the ongoing police investigation.”

The press release issued by Sinn Fein on 20 November 2022.

Sinn Féin MP John Finucane has written to members of the British House of Lords to reiterate concerns with the British government’s flawed Legacy Bill that will prevent families accessing truth and justice.

The North Belfast MP said:

“The unilateral action proposed through this Bill on legacy by the British government, despite having negotiated the Stormont House Agreement, will essentially pull down the shutters on hundreds of family campaigns for truth and justice.

“Seeking to halt and prevent families from exercising their right to seek truth, justice and accountability is frankly cruel, callous, and offensive.

“This Bill presents as a deliberate obstacle placed by a British government, who cares not for the lives of the deceased, nor do they care about the rule of law, truth and justice.

“Recent judgments by the courts, along with well-publicised reports from the Police Ombudsman reinforce the importance of families accessing justice. They also show that mechanisms with investigatory powers can work for those who need them most.

“Locally, the Irish government, the Churches, the Victims Commissioner, the Human Rights Commissioner, the Queen’s University Model Bill Team, NGOs and all the main political parties on this island have expressed serious concerns about this Bill and the wider approach to legacy.

“These concerns are also shared internationally by the UN, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, and committee of Ministers, and senior US politicians.

“Executive Ministers have informed the Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris that they would not give their consent to this Bill or to any Legislative Consent Motion request in relation to it.

“This Bill is unworkable as it is incapable of delivering for victims and survivors, it is in breach of the Good Friday Agreement, and it is incompatible with international human rights obligations.

“I have asked members of the House of Lords to tell the British government to focus their efforts on the implementation of the Stormont House Agreement legacy mechanisms, which were agreed by the local parties and both governments and endorsed in public consultation, in a human rights compliant manner.”

The press release issued by Sinn Fein on 20 November 2022.

Sinn Féin MLA Colm Gildernew has said reports that over 30% of ambulance cover in some areas is being tied up waiting to get patients into hospitals is deeply concerning.

Responding to reports in a TV report with ambulance workers, the party’s health spokesperson said:

“I am deeply concerned at reports that over one third of ambulance cover in some areas is tied up with patients waiting hours to get into hospitals.

“Sometimes this can last for the duration of an ambulance crew’s shift, meaning that people who urgently need ambulances are struggling to get one.

“Sadly, this is the reality of the huge pressures facing workers and patients in our hospitals on a daily basis. They are literally at crisis point.

“Our health service is crying out for an Executive and a health minister in place so that we can take real decisions to relieve the challenges facing health and social workers.

“Sinn Féin is ready to form an Executive now to work together with others to invest in the health service, to hire more doctors and nurses and tackle chronic waiting lists.

“I would urge the DUP to end its boycott now, get back to work and make health a priority. Our health workers need help now.”

The press release issued by Sinn Fein on 19 November 2022.

Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly has said reports of guns and pipe bombs having been found in East Belfast are deeply concerning and called on armed loyalist gangs to disband.

The party’s policing spokesperson said:

“Reports that police have found guns and pipe bombs belonging to the UVF today, is deeply concerning.

“I welcome the fact that these weapons have been taken off the streets. The continued stance of these armed loyalist gangs pose a direct threat to our democracy. This latest seizure should be seen in the context of other recent weapons finds, as well as threats to Irish government ministers.

“It is now almost 25 years after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. There is no place in our society for armed groups that are actively involved in drug dealing, extortion, racketeering, threats and murder.

“They should disband now and leave the whole community in peace.

“There is an onus on all political leaders to call out this outrageous activity and call for an immediate end to the existence of these groups.”

The press release issued by Sinn Fein on 18 November 2022.

Sinn Féin First Minister Designate Michelle O’Neill has condemned a ‘reprehensible and reckless’ bomb attack on police officers in the Mount Carmel Heights area of Strabane.

And she said that those who want to drag society backwards will not succeed.

Michelle O’Neill said:

“The bomb attack in Strabane was reckless and reprehensible, and I strongly condemn it.

“This was a disgraceful attempt to kill or injure police officers in a residential area and it could have also had a devastating impact on the wider community.

“I have spoken to the Chief Constable and am relieved that fortunately no one has been seriously injured or killed in the attack.

“My thoughts are with the two officers, and everyone caught up in this incident, including over one thousand residents whose lives were disrupted this morning and many others prevented from getting to work or school.

“It’s clear those responsible for this attack have absolutely no regard for the local community or the people who live in it.

“There is no place for those whose primary focus is on dragging society backwards. They will not succeed and must not be allowed to fill the political vacuum.

“We must all unite against these reckless actions, and we must keep building the peace and moving forward together to build a new and better future for all.

“I would urge everyone to co-operate with the ongoing police investigation.”

The press release issued by Sinn Fein on 18 November 2022.

Sinn Féin MLA Caoimhe Archibald has said the British Government must urgently spell out when people here will get the £400 energy support and £200 heating oil payments.

The East Derry MLA said:

“The British government have provided no answers for families waiting on the £400 energy support payment and the now £200 oil payment.

“It is over six months since this support was announced and despite the DUP claiming the payments would be made in November, there is still no sign of it.

“And let us be clear, if we had an Executive this payment could already be in people’s pockets – the DUP blockade of the institutions is punishing workers and families.

“People are struggling right now with their energy bills and they deserve to know when they will receive the payment they are entitled to.

“The increase announced for families waiting on the oil payment will also be of no comfort as again there are still no details as to how it will be paid.

“The British government must urgently provide clarity on when these energy support payments will be made to give families certainty as winter deepens.”

The press release issued by Sinn Fein on 18 November 2022.

Striking Housing Executive workers are entitled to a pay increase that takes into account the growing pressures on workers and families impacted by the cost of living crisis, Sinn Féin MLA Pat Sheehan has said.

Pat Sheehan was speaking after urging the Housing Executive management to seek a fair resolution to the dispute.

The West Belfast MLA said:

“Sinn Féin fully supports the right of all workers to engage in industrial action and we are clear that Housing Executive staff are entitled to a fair pay increase that takes into account the current cost of living crisis.

“We are also concerned at the impact of a prolonged industrial dispute on tenants and crucial Housing Executive work such as repairs and wider house building programmes.

“Sinn Féin has therefore written to both the Housing Executive Board and Chief Executive to urge them to engage constructively with the representative trade unions to achieve a fair resolution and a fair pay settlement.

“I very much hope that is heeded and we can see a renewed push for a settlement that protects workers and tenants alike.”

The press release issued by Sinn Fein on 17 November 2022.

Sinn Féin MP Michelle Gildernew has said that today’s announcement of the temporary removal of emergency surgical services from the South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen is deeply disappointing and she has challenged the Western Health and Social Care Trusts (WHSCT) to set out clearly their plan for the restoration of emergency surgical services at SWAH.

Speaking after meeting the Western Health and Social Care Trust, Michelle Gildernew said:

“The Western Trust has today said that from 18 December, South West Acute Hospital will be without emergency surgical services.

“This is as a result of the failure to recruit and retain the necessary surgeons.

“While the Western Trust are giving assurances that the loss of emergency surgical services are temporary, they must urgently put forward and publish a plan that will see the required emergency general surgeons recruited to SWAH.

“Vague assurances will not do.

“The people of Fermanagh (and South Tyrone) need clarity from the Trust on the steps they have taken to date, but most importantly, the actions they will now take, to ensure emergency surgical services at SWAH are urgently restored.

“Patients, staff and our community deserve openness and transparency from the Western Trust.

“Sinn Féin were to the fore in the campaign for a hospital in Enniskillen to meet the health needs of the community and we will continue to work tirelessly to ensure SWAH continues to meet those health needs today and into the future.”

The press release issued by Sinn Fein on 17 November 2022.

Sinn Féin MLA Conor Murphy has said today’s Tory Budget will further plunge society into an ‘unnecessary recession’ and make ordinary workers and families will pay more.

Conor Murphy said:

“Over a decade of Tory austerity budgets and cuts have decimated our public services, leaving them ill-prepared for the pandemic and the energy crisis, and left workers and families struggling to pay for essentials such as food and fuel.

“Liz Truss’ shambolic budget, cheered on by the DUP pushed up mortgage payments and put interest rates and inflation through the roof.

“What was needed today was a credible plan to rebuild public services and grow the economy through investment in health, skills, and the transition to net-zero.

“Instead the Tory Budget announced today will push us deeper into an unnecessary recession and result in workers and families paying even more as they struggle with the soaring costs of living and wages fall further behind and the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecast a 2% recession and a 7% fall in living standards.

“It is also totally unacceptable that we still have no clarity on when people will receive the £400 energy payment or the now £200 oil payment that they were promised and are entitled to.

“Let’s be clear, people would already have that money if the DUP hadn’t blocked an Executive being formed and left us at the mercy of a Budget brought forward by Tory millionaires.

“Sinn Féin will not give up on our efforts to form an Executive so that local ministers can work together to support people and businesses during this cost-of-living crisis and tackle the crisis in the health service.

“Given the huge pressures being faced in our hospitals just this week it’s imperative that we have an Executive to put an extra £1 billion into our health service to tackle waiting lists, recruit more doctors and nurses and invest in cancer and mental health services.

“Our health and social care workers deserve fair pay and conditions.”

The press release issued by Sinn Fein on 17 November 2022.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald TD this morning delivered the keynote address to the European Infrastructure Conference in Dublin.

During the course of her comments, Ms. McDonald called for a new industrial policy. She said that this is a time for the government to lead and for the State to be centre stage, and it also a time for collaboration between the public and the private sector.

Ms. McDonald said:

“I believe that we are once again facing a great transition and a new Whitaker plan will be needed to meet these challenges. We will need to invest in our people. We will need to promote innovation in how we deliver public infrastructure. We will need to harness the strengths of Ireland’s natural resources, like wind energy, and we can do this together.

“Conventional economic wisdom once held that the public sector and the private sector, the State and the market, were opposing forces. And what was good for one was bad for the other, and vice versa. That thinking was erroneous. This is a time to move from the conventional to the dynamic, and to look to the future with ambition and positivity.

“This a time for collaboration.

“Government must bring pace and urgency. Most importantly government must lead with an ambitious plan. The State must be centre stage. We need to reform our planning system so that it’s fit for purpose in delivering critical infrastructure.

“I recently spoke about how Ireland has three big, transformational opportunities in this decade. The reunification of our country and the building of the all-Ireland economy, the achievement of energy independence, and the power of our young people. We must show the ambition and the energy realise all three. We have the chance to revolutionise our public infrastructure, which as the IMF recently pointed out, continues to hinder our competitiveness.

“We want to see the State and industry collaborate on an agenda that sees innovation and high wages at the very heart of our economy. We want to invest in our universities and colleges – opening up opportunities so that our people can learn, develop and reskill and Irish firms can be helped to seize the opportunities and technologies of tomorrow.

“We want to collaborate and to work together across the all-island economy as we journey now to national unity. Taking an all-island approach to the key infrastructure projects will play a big part in unlocking Ireland’s huge potential. For example, our energy transformation would be supercharged by an approach that utilises all of our island’s resources. By adopting a strategy that fosters the synergies of our energy sector workforce, our ports, our storage capacity, north and south.

“Key to our prosperity and development today and in the future is not a race to the bottom, but a race to the top. Innovation is the engine of economic development. It’s the basis for improving productivity which in turn drives up employment, wages and living standards. Fixing our broken housing system – a key piece of Ireland’s public infrastructure  – would represent a smart investment in our long-term competitiveness.

“Delivering affordable homes to buy and rent is not only an urgent social imperative, but one which demands an unprecedent level of collaboration from all sectors, from all those willing to contribute solutions.

“We must for plan for change. Invest in change, and must harness change as the driver of Ireland’s success over the next decade. But talk is cheap. Empty visions are even cheaper, easy to present in glossy documents and even easier to discard. We’ve all had enough of that.

“We all know that delivery is what matters.

“I believe in getting things done. I believe that pace in not the enemy of the good, that we can deliver modern, world-class infrastructure on time and on budget. And I believe in working together to achieve big things – to create opportunities and see them realised too.

“As we build for the future, I understand that people need certainty, a sense of the plan, and full sight of the direction of travel. Here’s one thing you can be certain of.

“Sinn Féin is ambitious for Ireland, for our people, and for our economy. Revolutionising our public infrastructure is at the centre of that ambition. We will collaborate. We will co-operate. We will listen to and work hard with all sectors. We will bring fresh ideas with a relentless energy to succeed,  and if given the change to lead, make no mistake, we will get the work done.”