News Archives for November, 2006
30 November, 2006
Dublin Mid West Sinn Féin registration stand in the Mill Shopping centre on Wednesday night, 29 November.
Pictured are Joanne Spain, Dublin Mid West General election candidate and Clondalkin Councillor Shane O'Connor. Read full article
30 November, 2006
Reacting to a survey in Citywide News on Cocaine in Local Communities, Sinn Féin Community Affairs spokesperson Seán Crowe TD said, "There is an acute cocaine problem throughout this state which must be addressed." Read full article
30 November, 2006
Sinn Féin General Election candidate in Dublin North West Councillor Dessie Ellis has expressed his outrage at the unfolding fiasco of voter registration. Councillor Ellis has found that a large number of people (approximately ninety) along the flats on Coultry Road Ballymun as well as approximately eighty Families in the new housing scheme in Scribblestown have been omitted from the new Draft Register. Read full article
30 November, 2006
South Dublin Sinn Féin representative Shaun Tracey has said there can be no more excuses from Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown County Council for failing to provide urgently needed social housing for its citizens. Speaking prior to a Sinn Féin protest at Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown Council offices today Mr. Tracey said Sinn Féin will continue to picket council meetings until the council meets its obligations under Part V of the Planning and
Development Act. Read full article
30 November, 2006
Sinn Féin's Law Reform spokesperson Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD has welcomed the publication of the Joint Oireachtas Committee's report on child protection. Noting that a number of the proposals on the document reflect the arguments contains in Sinn Féin's submission to the Committee he said he was particularly happy at the recommendation of introducing obligations on employers to vet prospective employees and to report relevant dismissals. Read full article
30 November, 2006
Sinn Féin Social Welfare spokesperson Seán Crowe TD has welcomed indications from the government this morning that next week's budget is to include a significant increase in the state pension. "However", said Deputy Crowe, "everybody deserves a fair and decent standard of living and a lot more could be done by this government." Read full article
30 November, 2006
Sinn Féin's Cllr Larry O'Toole has described the manner in which Dublin City Council announced the shutting off of water supply to parts of the northside as a display of utter contempt. Pointing out that he has advocated better systems of informing people of cuts, Cllr O'Toole said state that the supply of two water tanks for emergency use is insufficient, especially for those in the community who would find travelling to these tanks for three days supply of water prohibitively difficult. Read full article
30 November, 2006
Sinn Féin National Chairperson Mary Lou McDonald MEP has today participated in a National Forum on Europe debate where she said that 'the European Parliament should not be allowed to become a legislative substitute for the national parliament'. Read full article
30 November, 2006
Sinn Féin's Dublin Spokesperson on European Affairs Cllr. Daithi Doolan has today rejected the idea that the European Parliament is addressing the democratic deficit experienced by citizens throughout the EU. Cllr. Doolan's comments were made in response to European Parliament President Josep Borrell Fontelle's key note address to the National Forum on Europe in Dublin Castle. Read full article
29 November, 2006
Sinn Féin National Chairperson and Dublin MEP Mary Lou McDonald has today urged the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and other EU leaders to 'listen to people across the EU and help ensure that a future Europe is based on the principles of democracy, equality and solidarity.' Read full article
29 November, 2006
Sinn Féin National Chairperson Mary Lou McDonald MEP has this morning called upon the Irish Government to suspend all suspicious military flights both in and out of Ireland until a thorough investigation is carried out into allegations of Irish complicity in the process of extraordinary rendition. Read full article
29 November, 2006
SINN FÉIN in Blanchardstown will hold their 4 th annual commemoration to mark the 87th anniversary of the death of IRA Volunteer Martin Savage on Saturday 9th December. The march will assemble at 2pm opposite Myo's Public House in Castleknock Village and it will proceed to the commemorative stone at the Halfway House roundabout at Ashtown. Newry/Armagh MP Conor Murphy will give the main address and will use the opportunity to update Republicans on the state of play in the peace process. The march will also be addressed by general election candidates Councillor Felix Gallagher (Dublin West) and Mary Lou McDonald MEP (Dublin Central). Read full article
29 November, 2006
As Ryanair purchased a further 31 million shares in Aer Lingus yesterday bringing their total stake to over 25 per cent, Sinn Féin Transport spokesperson Seán Crowe TD said the airline is on the brink of chaos because the government refused to invest at the opportune time. Read full article
29 November, 2006
Responding to the report of the Working Group on Domestic Partnerships, established under the auspices of the Department of Justice, Sinn Féin spokesperson on Justice, Equality and Human Rights, Aengus Ó Snodaigh
said: Read full article
29 November, 2006
The launch of a new €10 scratch card by the National Lottery was today condemned by Cllr Larry O'Toole. The scratch card, "Christmas Countdown", which claims to offer up to €100,000 instantly to winners, features an Advent scene on the front and is being promoted extensively by the National Lottery. Read full article
29 November, 2006
Speaking in the Dáil today, on International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, Sinn Féin Human Rights and International Affairs spokesperson Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD, called on the international community to act on its responsibility to help end Israel's illegal occupation of the area. Deputy Ó Snodaigh said the occupation itself is ultimately responsible for all the humanitarian failures and human rights abuses in Palestine. Read full article
29 November, 2006
Sinn Féin Dublin Mid West representative Joanne Spain has urged her constituents facing financial difficulty this Christmas to not fall prey to moneylenders or loan sharks. She said that in many cases the extortionate interest rates charged by legal moneylenders make them as bad as illegal loan sharks. Read full article
29 November, 2006
Sinn Féin Dublin Mid West representative Joanne Spain has called on South Dublin County Council to urgently remove vicious racist graffiti in Clondalkin. Spain described the graffiti in Cherrywood as grossly offensive and not representative of the people who live in the area. She said people throughout Clondalkin were calling for its immediate removal. Read full article
28 November, 2006
Sinn Féin Human Rights spokesperson Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD has called on the Government to provide time on the Dáil schedule to debate the huge funding shortfall which has resulted in 10,000 calls to the Women's Aid helpline going unanswered last year. Speaking in the Dáil today Deputy Ó Snodaigh said time should be allocated during the International 16 Days of Action Opposing Violence Against Women. Today is the fourth of the sixteen days. Read full article
28 November, 2006
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28 November, 2006
Sinn Féin Justice spokesperson Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD speaking following signals that the British Government are to legislate to bring about an end to non-jury Diplock courts in the Six Counties has called on the Dublin Government to follow suit and get rid of the Special Criminal Court and the Offences Against the State Act. Read full article
28 November, 2006
Sinn Féin International Affairs spokesperson Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD has again called on the Government to refuse the use of Irish airports and airspace to all planes associated with the United States' rendition programme. Deputy Ó Snodaigh was speaking today before the publication of a report from a European Union Committee which is expected to expose Ireland as the third most culpable EU state having hosted 147 secret CIA flights. Read full article
28 November, 2006
Sinn Féin members will be at the Mill Shopping Centre in Clondalkin village on Wednesday and Thursday evening to encourage people to register to vote. The party's general election candidate, Joanne Spain, and Councillor Shane O'Connor will be in attendance in a drive to get as many people as possible registered to vote before the government's 9 December deadline for the 2007 Register. Read full article
28 November, 2006
Sinn Féin Communications Spokesperson Seán Crowe TD today accused the Government and the Minister for Communications Noel Dempsey of 'total inaction' and of 'standing idly by while postal services in rural and urban working class areas are disintegrating'. Read full article
28 November, 2006
Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD and Councillor Críona Ní Dhálaigh have welcomed the recent advertisement seeking tenders for the redevelopment of St Teresa's Gardens Flat Complex in Dublin 8. The regeneration of St Teresa's Gardens will bring about many changes, both to the physical landscape and the profile of the community. Read full article
27 November, 2006
Speaking ahead of a meeting of the Dublin City Joint Policing Committee this evening, the Committee's Vice Chair Cllr Larry O'Toole has said that dealing with serious gun and drug crime must be high on the Committee's agenda. Cllr O'Toole, himself the survivor of a gun attack in a Church in Ballymun, said that the rising tide of gangland violence is a consequence of the Government's failure to tackle the drugs issue, and that gun culture is increasingly claiming the lives of people uninvolved in crime. Read full article
27 November, 2006
Sinn Féin National Chairperson Mary Lou McDonald MEP has today said that moves to track convicted sex offenders who travel between the north and south of the country is an 'important first step' but must be followed by 'a clear and holistic all Ireland approach to sex crime'. Read full article
27 November, 2006
DUBLIN 15 Sinn Féin Councillor Felix Gallagher has put forward proposals in an attempt to address the illegal dumping associated with Halloween bonfires. Cllr Gallagher has called for a free mobile waste collection service for the month of October. Read full article
27 November, 2006
BLANCHARDSTOWN Sinn Féin Councillor Felix Gallagher has called for urgent action to be taken to upgrade the Snugborough Road/N3 junction. The roundabout which serves Waterville, Corduff and the Ballycoolin industrial estates is the source of major congestion and motor frustration. Read full article
27 November, 2006
DUBLIN WEST Sinn Féin Councillor Felix Gallagher has urged the Council's Environment Department to target private businesses who openly flout litter laws and engage in illegal dumping of wooden pallets and tyres for bonfires. Read full article
24 November, 2006
The latest report on Dublin's infrastructure problems from the European Environmental Agency holds no news for residents in Lucan, according to Sinn Féin Dublin Mid West representative Joanne Spain. The EEA document on Friday said the capital's infrastructure will not be able to cope if its housing sprawl continues and predicted that
residential housing will have doubled by 2025. Read full article
24 November, 2006
Questioning the Minister for Foreign Affairs in the Dáil yesterday evening, on the government's Official Development Assistance commitments, Sinn Féin's International Affairs spokesperson Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD welcomed the increase in aid but described it as "a case of better late than never." Read full article
23 November, 2006
Sinn Féin National Chairperson Mary Lou McDonald MEP has today reacted angrily to reports that the Rotunda Hospital's Sexual Assault Treatment Unit (SATU) has been forced to close at weekends because no doctor is
available for on-call duty. Read full article
23 November, 2006
Speaking at the launch of Sinn Féin's 2007 Pre-Budget Submission in Dublin this afternoon, Sinn Féin Chairperson Mary Lou McDonald MEP questioned the Government's priorities as it debates tax cuts for the better off while low-income households struggle to cope. She pointed out that the cut in the top rate of tax would fund a number of Sinn Féin's proposals, and went on to outline the party's initiative around progressive reform of Maternity Benefit, and the introduction of Paternity Benefit. Read full article
23 November, 2006
Sinn Féin National Chairperson Mary Lou McDonald MEP has today welcomed proposals which would enhance the rights of cohabiting and same sex couples in the areas of tax, inheritance and social welfare. Read full article
23 November, 2006
DUBLIN 15 Sinn Féin Councillor Felix Gallagher has welcomed the two week extension for the public to register to vote, but said that it must be matched by adequate resources if the tens of thousands of people who have been taken off the register are to get back on it. Cllr Gallagher called for the time extension earlier this month when it was revealed that 34,000 people were removed from the Fingal register. Read full article
23 November, 2006
BLANCHARDSTOWN Sinn Féin Councillor Felix Gallagher has described as outrageous Fine Gael's proposals to have a gun amnesty with collection bins at Youth Clubs and Churches. Gallagher who is the party's Dublin spokesperson on Criminality said the proposal shows just how out of touch Fine Gael are with reality. Read full article
22 November, 2006
Sinn Féin National Chairperson Mary Lou McDonald MEP has tabled a European Parliament report calling for EU Member States to ratify the International Labour Organisation's (ILO) Maritime Convention. Read full article
22 November, 2006
Sinn Féin Dublin Mid West representative Joanne Spain has called on local authorities to increase their green bin collections from once a month to twice. She has also requested that bin collections be made later in the day to avoid residents having to put out their bins the night before in case they miss a seven am pick up. This has resulted in bins in some areas being robbed and burnt out. Read full article
22 November, 2006
Speaking in the Dáil today during statements on the estimates, Sinn Féin Justice Spokesperson Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD criticised the Tánaiste and Justice Minister Michael McDowell for providing €1.5milllion to the so-called Independent Monitoring Commission, a politically biased body established outside and in breach of the Good Friday Agreement. Deputy Ó Snodaigh said the Tánaiste's right wing priorities and disdain for justice and human rights have been made crystal clear and went on to criticise McDowell for not providing enough funding to the Garda Ombudsman Commission to allow it to be fully up and running by January 2007 as he had previously promised it would. Read full article
21 November, 2006
Sinn Féin Dublin Mid West representative Joanne Spain has welcomed the extension of two weeks for the public to get onto the electoral register but said it has to be matched by adequate resources if the tens of thousands of people who have been taken off the register are to get back on. Read full article
21 November, 2006
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21 November, 2006
The Vice-Chairperson of the Dublin Joint Policing Committee, Sinn Féin Councillor Larry O'Toole has said Sinn Féin's priority going into next week's committee meeting will be to address the issues of anti-social behaviour and serious crime including gun crime and sexual attacks in the city. Speaking today Councillor O'Toole said there is serious concern throughout Dublin at the increase in serious gun attacks in the city. Read full article
21 November, 2006
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Social and Family Affairs Seán Crowe TD today called on the Government to act immediately to honour it's promise of significantly reducing poverty, made in the Government's Programme for government. He was speaking following media reports that the CSO had said consistent poverty is unlikely to be lowered much further. Read full article
21 November, 2006
Sinn Féin Education spokesperson Seán Crowe TD has attacked the increasing use of Public Private Partnerships to build schools. He was speaking after Minister Hanafin announced six new schools were to be built in the Leinster area under PPP contracts. Read full article
20 November, 2006
Responding to Fine Gael's proposal to introduce boot camps for young people engaged in anti-social and/or criminal behaviour under the operation of the Defence Forces Sinn Féin Justice spokesperson Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD described the proposal as a gimmick and said it would "ultimately fail to reduce both anti-social and criminal behaviour amongst young people." Read full article
20 November, 2006
Sinn Féin's Social Affairs Seán Crowe TD has warned that tens of thousands of people, primarily from working class and disadvantaged areas, have disappeared off the electoral register. He cited West Tallaght as an example, where 6,543 people have disappeared off the Register, over a third of the electorate. He called on the Government to extend the closing date for registration and to ensure lists of deleted voters were publically available. Read full article
16 November, 2006
Speaking in reaction to today's Estimates announced by Minister for Finance Brian Cowen, Sinn Féin's Education spokesperson Seán Crowe TD highlighted the fact the Public Private Partnership costs have increased by 58 per cent while there has been no increase in building grants for second-level schools. He also pointed out that the National Education Psychological Services and the National Education Welfare Board continue to be critically under resourced. Read full article
16 November, 2006
Responding to today's Estimates for 2007 Sinn Féin Justice Spokesperson Aengus Ó Snodaigh accused the Government of creating and maintaining very real barriers to justice. Read full article
16 November, 2006
Speaking today Sinn Féin spokesperson on Education Seán Crowe pointed a finger of blame at the Minister for Education Mary Hanafin and her Government for "failing to adequately invest in Primary Schools in times of unprecedented wealth." Read full article
16 November, 2006
Sinn Féin Justice spokesperson Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD has welcomed the outcome of today's court case where a so-called joyrider was convicted of assaulting him. Deputy Ó Snodaigh was attacked on the evening of the 6th March last year when he tried to talk to young people who were racing cars at high speeds through a residential area where children were playing. Read full article
16 November, 2006
Responding to indications this morning that additional funding for An Garda Síochána is to be announced in the Estimates Sinn Féin Justice spokesperson Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD said that without meaningful civilianisation of the Gardaí, extra money, though welcome, would be of limited value. Read full article
16 November, 2006
BLANCHARDSTOWN Sinn Féin Councillor Felix Gallagher has said that the proposed co-location of a private hospital in the grounds of Connolly will have little impact on the public hospital. Figures released to Cllr Gallagher by the Minister for Health show that only 9% of current beds in Connolly are private or semi-private. This figure is seriously out of kilter with the other co-location hospitals which average at over 20% private beds. Read full article
16 November, 2006
BLANCHARDSTOWN Sinn Féin Councillor Felix Gallagher has described the proposed buy out of the Westlink Toll Bridge as nothing more than a pre-election PR stunt that will fail to deceive thousands of distressed motorists. Read full article
15 November, 2006
Councillor Larry O'Toole has welcomed the announcement of the imminent opening of the long awaited Port Tunnel. The announcement that it would officially open on December 20th next was made yesterday. Read full article
15 November, 2006
Commenting on yesterday's High Court ruling which found the state to be in breach of the Constitutional rights of Irish-born children with non-national parents Sinn Féin Justice spokesperson Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD condemned the failure of the Government to take heed of Sinn Féin's warnings. He was speaking ahead of raising the issue in the Dáil later today. Read full article
15 November, 2006
Sinn Féin International Affairs spokesperson Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD has reiterated his call for the Government to cease its support for America's war in Iraq and stop allowing US troops to use Shannon Airport. Deputy Ó Snodaigh said today, Ireland is a neutral country and should have no part the war in Iraq. He went on to say the war in Iraq is wrong and illegal and should be stopped. Read full article
14 November, 2006
BLANCHARDSTOWN Sinn Féin Councillor Felix Gallagher has called for an extension of the electoral register closing date following confirmation that approximately 34,000 people have been wiped-off the electoral register. Read full article
14 November, 2006
BLANCHARDSTOWN Sinn Féin Councillor Felix Gallagher has called for an extension of the electoral register closing date following confirmation that approximately 34,000 people have been wiped-off the electoral register. Read full article
14 November, 2006
SINN FÉIN Councillor Felix Gallagher has welcomed the decision to secure all jobs as part of the termination of Dublin Waterworld's lease of the National Aquatic Centre. Cllr Gallagher has previously exposed how Dublin Waterworld was failing to maintain the centre and allowing it to fall into disrepair. Read full article
14 November, 2006
Sinn Féin Justice spokesperson Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD has called to member of the Gardaí who engaged in brutality against civilians in Mayo last Friday to be held to account. Speaking in the Dáil today Deputy Ó Snodaigh said peaceful protesters at Bellanaboy, Greencastle and Bangor "were battered and assaulted by members of the force." Read full article
14 November, 2006
Commenting on Department of Education and Science figures which reveal that some schools are failing to live up to their responsibility of education provision for children with special education needs, Sinn Féin Education spokesperson Seán Crowe stated that 'education apartheid is being reinforced in this state while the government stands idly by'. He went on to castigate schools who are cherry-picking pupils. Read full article
14 November, 2006
Commenting on the launch by the Labour Party of a policy document on poverty, Sinn Féin spokesperson on Social and Family Affairs Seán Crowe TD said that document jarred with headline on a recent edition of the party's newssheet which declared "Taxes are down and will stay down". He questioned the commitment of Labour to deliver on ending poverty, while supporting the taxation system that propagated it. Read full article
14 November, 2006
Dublin South West Sinn Féin TD Seán Crowe has called on South Dublin County Council to act swiftly to eliminate an accident black-spot in Tallaght where he claims an accident is happening at least once a week. Deputy Crowe was speaking this morning after a three car pile-up occurred yesterday at the junction of Cheeverstown Road and Fortunestown Way near the site of the new swimming pool in Tallaght. Read full article
14 November, 2006
Sinn Féin's Dublin Spokesperson on the Environment Cllr. Daithí Doolan was selected for a sub group of Dublin City Council which will address the future development of Dublin Port and it's surrounding area. Read full article
13 November, 2006
Commenting on today's Supreme Court overturning of a High Court judgement last September which had ordered that in a child's best interests she should remain with her prospective adoptive parents Sinn Féin Justice spokesperson Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD called for urgent constitutional reform. Read full article
13 November, 2006
Sinn Féin Education spokesperson Seán Crowe TD today reiterated Sinn Féin's opposition to School League Tables and urged the government to eradicate educational disadvantage instead of reinforcing it. Read full article
13 November, 2006
Sinn Féin Dublin Mid West representative Joanne Spain has called on the Government to implement emergency measures to ensure the estimated half million people left off the new electoral register are given back
their right to vote. Ms Spain said that in most cases it is society's worse off who have been left off the register because local authorities failed to make sure they re-registered. Read full article
10 November, 2006
Sinn Féin Social Affairs spokesperson Seán Crowe TD has wished ten Tallaght residents the best of luck as they take part in a parachute jump tomorrow to draw attention to the impending closure of the National Children's Hospital at Tallaght. Read full article
10 November, 2006
Responding to a report published at a conference on suicide prevention this morning that showed 35 Travellers living in and around the west Dublin area have died through suicide in the last 18 months, Sinn Féin Social Affairs spokesperson Seán Crowe, who attended the conference entitled Moving Beyond Coping, called for more financial support for local groups dealing with the issue. He was speaking after questioning Minister Noel Ahern on the matter in the Dáil yesterday, where he specifically raised the need to fund suicide prevention schemes. Read full article
10 November, 2006
In reaction to yesterday's UN Human Development Report 2006, which put Ireland in 17th place in a poverty index of 18 OECD countries, Sinn Féin Social and Family Affairs spokesperson Seán Crowe stated that "this hard evidence once again reinforces the fact that poverty should still be a major concern in this state." Read full article
10 November, 2006
A MEETING has been arranged between Fingal County Council officials and Corduff FC in an attempt by the club to receive permission to erect a fence around the pitch following their promotion to the AUL Premier A league. The meeting was called for in a motion by Sinn Féin Councillor Felix Gallagher, who has been instrumental in securing perimeter fencing to Corduff Park to prevent damage from illegal motorbike use. Read full article
10 November, 2006
THE Dial-To-Stop-Drug-Dealing phone line established by Blanchardstown Local Drug Task Force was given unanimous cross-party support by local Councillors at Fingal County Council's local area meeting. Cllr Gallagher, who is chair of the sub-group that established the confidential phone line, has welcomed the support. Read full article
10 November, 2006
Sinn Féin Dublin Mid-West representative Joanne Spain will be joined on the canvass trail in Lucan on Saturday 11 November by a 35-strong group of women activists from across the Six Counties, including Six-County MEP Bairbre de Brún and Fermanagh/South Tyrone MP Michelle Gildernew. Read full article
9 November, 2006
BLANCHARDSTOWN Sinn Féin Councillor Felix Gallagher has welcomed the Garda Inspectorate report and called for implementation of its recommendations in an attempt to address criminality in Dublin 15. Cllr Gallagher was recently blocked by Fine Gael & Labour Councillors from taking up membership of the Fingal Joint Policing Committee. Read full article
9 November, 2006
BLANCHARDSTOWN Sinn Féin Councillor Felix Gallagher has queried the accuracy of the draft electoral register after a number of constituents who completed the registration form have been omitted from the draft Electoral Register. Read full article
9 November, 2006
Sinn Féin Social Affairs spokesperson Sean Crowe TD has described the Central Bank's Financial Stability Report 2006 as another indictment of the Government's failure, during its nine years in office, to tackle house price increases and ensure affordability for first time buyers. The report published yesterday, highlighted the fact that houses are overpriced and Irish people are increasingly vulnerable as a result of record levels of indebtedness and rising interest rates. Read full article
9 November, 2006
Councillors Larry O'Toole and Killian Forde have been in receipt of a letter from An Bord Pleanala stating that a decision on granting an application to erect a multi-storey car park at Donaghmede Shopping Centre would not be taken until January at the earliest. Read full article
8 November, 2006
Cllr Dessie Ellis has welcomed the recent seizure of dogs along Rathoath Drive. There have been consistent complaints about dogs being savaged in this general area over the past number of years. Read full article
8 November, 2006
Cllr Ellis at the Monday City Council meeting has raised the issue of the Metro North running threw Ballymun to the Airport. It is unacceptable that inspite of the large number of representations by residents, associations and politicians that any consideration be given to running the Metro over ground, or on stilts along mainstreet. There is an onus on Dublin City Council to convey to the R.P.A. the feelings expressed by all. Read full article
8 November, 2006
Sinn Féin Chairperson Mary Lou McDonald MEP has today said that tough international pressure must be brought to bear upon Israel after its latest attacks against the Palestinian people resulted in the deaths of 23 people, including many women and children. Read full article
8 November, 2006
The vice-chairperson of the Dublin Joint Policing Committee, Sinn Féin Councillor Larry O'Toole has welcomed the recommendation from the Garda Inspectorate for the employment of civilians in many positions at all levels of An Garda Síochana. Councillor O'Toole said, "Sinn Fein have been calling consistently for this civilianisation to take place for a number of years now and particularly in the context of the volunteer reserve debate." Read full article
7 November, 2006
Sinn Féin MEP Bairbre de Brún has this morning welcomed a delegation of over 20 women community activists from across Dublin to the European Parliament, Brussels. The delegation was accompanied by Sinn Féin Councillor Críona Ní Dhálaigh and party representative Joanne Spain. Read full article
6 November, 2006
Sinn Féin Dublin Mid West representative Joanne Spain will tomorrow, Tuesday 7 November, join Cllr. Críona Ní Dhálaigh in hosting a visit to Brussels of women working in the Dublin community sector. Earlier in the year, the Sinn Féin European Department hosted a similar event for women from the Northside of the capital. This time,women activists from Clondalkin, Ballyfermot, Tallaght, Crumlin and Kimmage will make up the delegation. Read full article
6 November, 2006
Sinn Féin's Dublin Environment Spokesperson, Councillor Daithí Doolan, has tonight called on the Dublin City Manager to stop fuelling Shell Oil profits through their contract with Topaz Energies. Read full article
6 November, 2006
Sinn Féin Chairperson Mary Lou McDonald MEP today reported back to the Ard Chomhairle on the consultation, which has taken place within the party over the past fortnight and the recent discussions with the British and Irish governments. Since the Ard Chomhairle met on October 19 th in Dublin more than 60 meetings have taken place throughout Ireland. Read full article
6 November, 2006
DUBLIN 15 Sinn Féin Councillor Felix Gallagher has reiterated his call for domestic wind turbines to be subsidised in an attempt to meet the States requirements for renewable energy. Gallagher welcomed the announcement by Environment Minister Dick Roche to make certain domestic wind turbines exempt from planning requirements. Read full article
6 November, 2006
Sinn Féin's Dublin Environment Spokesperson, Councillor Daithí Doolan, has called on the Dublin City Manager to come clean on the alleged deal that Dublin City Council has with Shell Oil. Read full article
5 November, 2006
Sinn Féin Chairperson Mary Lou McDonald today announced that the party's Ard Chomhairle will meet in Dublin tomorrow, Monday 6th November. The meeting has been called to discuss the consultations within Sinn Féin which have taken place across Ireland over the last fortnight and to get a report on the ongoing negotiations with the two governments on some of the core outstanding issues. Read full article
4 November, 2006
South Dublin Sinn Féin is holding a public meeting to mark the 90th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising and the 25th Anniversary of the 1981 Hunger Strikes. The meeting entitled, 1916, 1981 and Sinn Féin today will take place in Ballyogan Community Hall at 7pm tomorrow evening, Saturday 4th November. Read full article
3 November, 2006
Sinn Féin Dublin City Councillor Críona Ní Dhálaigh today, attended the Right to Read campaign at City Hall. Read full article
3 November, 2006
Sinn Féin National Chairperson and MEP for Dublin Mary Lou McDonald has called on the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to ensure that the maximum loan available from local authorities under the shared ownership scheme is increased to reflect the changes in the housing market. Ms. McDonald was commenting today on the findings of a Sinn Féin survey that shows the shared ownership scheme is almost obsolete because the loans offered by local authorities have not increased in line with the increase in house prices. Read full article
2 November, 2006
BLANCHARDSTOWN Sinn Féin Councillor Felix Gallagher has urged the Government to provide funding to allow the Dial-To-Stop-Drug-Dealing to be rolled out across all Local Drug Task Force areas. Gallagher who is chairperson of the sub-group of Blanchardstown LDTF which spearheaded the campaign was speaking at the launch of the evaluation report in the Alexander Hotel. Read full article
2 November, 2006
It is way past time for the development and implementation of a National Strategy for Older People in Ireland, according to Aengus ÓSnodaigh, TD, Sinn Féin spokesperson on Equality. Speaking after the launch of the Older & Bolder campaign and accompanying report today, Deputy Ó Snodaigh welcomed the report and pledged Sinn Féin's commitment to support the Older and Bolder campaign. Read full article
2 November, 2006
Sinn Féin National Chairperson and MEP for Dublin Mary Lou McDonald has described the rate of inaccurate smear test results as both outrageous and alarming. Speaking today after it was revealed that up to thirty percent of smear tests in Ireland give the wrong results due to human error Ms. McDonald urged the Government to do all in its power to help a major new research project on automated screening which should be able to reduce the inaccuracy rate of smear tests to around two percent. Read full article
2 November, 2006
Sinn Fein's Dublin Spokesperson on European Affairs Cllr. Daithi Doolan today challenged Turkish Minister for Economics, Ali Babacan, on his country's appalling human rights record. Read full article
1 November, 2006
Sinn Féin Social Affairs spokesperson Seán Crowe TD, speaking in the Dáil today, proposed a bill that would reverse the loophole introduced by the Government in 2002 allowing developers to buy exemptions from the requirement to provide 20% social and affordable housing in new developments. Read full article
1 November, 2006
The Vice-Chair of the Dublin City Joint Policing Committee, Sinn Féin councillor Larry O'Toole has congratulated the emergency services, and the Fire Brigade in particular, for their efforts over Halloween night. But Cllr O'Toole went on to say that the need for reforms and funding for the fire services were becoming more acute. Read full article
1 November, 2006
Despite Ireland's broadband take-up growing, the state is still recovering from the after-effects of the disastrous decision to privatise Telecom Éireann in 1999 according to Sinn Féin Communications spokesperson Seán Crowe TD. He went on to point out that Minister Dempsey's acknowledgement that private companies would not supply broadband to commercially unviable areas vindicated Sinn Féin's argument that the privatisation of the company crippled efforts to roll out a national broadband infrastructure. Read full article
1 November, 2006
Sinn Féin Social Affairs spokesperson Seán Crowe TD, joining party activists and supporters outside Leinster House this morning, has described the removal of the exemption inserted in the Planning and Development Act to allow developers to buy their way out of delivering 20% social and affordable housing as an essential part of dealing with social housing demand. Read full article
1 November, 2006
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Human Rights Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD has called for increased funding for Women's Aid so that they can operate at a level that fully meets the demand for their services. Deputy Ó Snodaigh was speaking today after it was revealed that 10,000 calls to the campaign group's domestic violence helpline went unanswered last year due to lack of resources. Read full article
1 November, 2006
Sinn Féin Justice spokesperson Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD called on the Minister to do much more to tackle gun crime. He was speaking after the end of the gun amnesty, which concluded last night. He went in to call for more resources for Operation Anvil and for the civilianisation of Garda traffic duties to allow more officers to be deployed to tackle drug gangs and other serious crime. Read full article
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