SAOIRSE32

IOL

25/07/2005 - 20:15:09

Republicans are working hard to enable the IRA to respond to calls for the terror group to abandon the armed struggle, Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams said tonight.

With both the British and Irish governments waiting for the IRA to publicly announce whether they will heed the call to embrace democracy for good, Mr Adams said a statement from the organisation was only part of the process.

Speculation has mounted in the last few days that a statement is imminent.

Mr Adams said tonight: “Our focus is on a positive result and we are working very, very hard and I can tell you on behalf of the Sinn Féin leadership that we are totally and absolutely committed to moving this process ahead.

“One, but only one, part of this is the IRA conclusion to the internal consultation process and I repeat what I have said before they need the space to conclude that.”

The Sinn Féin leader also insisted that Unionists had a part to play in moving the peace process forward.

“The rest of us in the Sinn Féin party, and the other political parties, Unionism generally and the DUP in particular, and of course both governments need to be facing up to the challenge,” he said.

It is understood senior Sinn Féin representatives have been involved in talks in Downing Street today.

Unionists have warned the British government must rigorously examine the IRA’s involvement in criminality even if the terror group comes out with a positive statement on its future this week.

After a meeting in Downing Street with British Prime Minister Tony Blair Ulster Unionist leader Sir Reg Empey issued a warning not to allow Republicans to distance themselves from their criminal operations.

It is understood that the IRA may talk about its members ending active service and instead forming republican clubs when a statement is issued.

Unionists are adamant that all involvement by the IRA in paramilitary and criminal activity must be brought to a complete end.

BBC

More than 10,000 teachers in Northern Ireland are to receive a pay increase.

Education Minister Angela Smith said £6.5m would be invested, with pay rises backdated to 1 April this year.

She said the salary increases would benefit teachers who are due to progress to point 3 on the upper pay scale this September.

Frank Bunting of the INTO union, said: “This is a major step towards the return to parity with teachers’ salaries in England and Wales.”

Mr Bunting said educators had been “impressed” by the minister’s “teacher-friendly approach and for her evident commitment to improving the conditions of service of teachers in Northern Ireland”.

Mike Graves of the Ulster Teachers’ Union said senior teachers were “at long last being rewarded for the hard work and dedication they are giving to Northern Ireland’s schools”.

Making the announcement on Monday, Ms Smith said: “With their planned pay progression from September 2005, these teachers’ salaries will increase by £1,164 a year, bringing their annual basic pay to £32,628.

“Today’s announcement backdates this pay increase to April 2005, which will mean almost £500 extra this year for each of these teachers.”

Indymedia Ireland

Posted by M. Ní Sheighin
Monday, Jul 25 2005, 12:58pm

Seo thíos an ráiteas a d’eisigh Cúigear Ros Dumhach inniu in éis na hArd-Chúirte, agus a léigh an Dr Mark Garavan amach ar a son.

“The freedom the Rossport 5 require is the freedom and obligation all citizens have, the freedom to use all peaceful means to protect themselves, their families and their neighbours.

We are in prison because we intend to protect our lives, our families and our neighbours from potential disaster. We cannot agree to a proposal that proposes to ban us from continuing to protect our lives by opposing the Shell works.

In light of recent developments, Shell’s word is hardly legal tender.”

Posted on behalf of:

Vincent McGrath, Philip McGrath, Willie Corduff, Brendan Philbin agus Micheál Ó Seighin

BBC

Dozens of UVF associates gathered in the Garnerville area

Police say they are trying to resolve the situation in east Belfast where a large number of loyalist paramilitaries have occupied a housing estate.

It is believed the UVF associates are at the estate in Garnerville to ensure families associated with the LVF who were put out of the area do not return.

A number of families left Glenlea Park at the weekend. It is believed to be connected to the ongoing loyalist feud.

Police and Army have remained at the scene all day.

DUP East Belfast MP Peter Robinson said those involved should take a step back.

“The responsibility to enforce the law rests with the police and there is a duty on people not to take the law into their own hands,” he said.

Chief Superintendent Wesley Wilson said police were monitoring the situation and were gathering evidence.

“At this moment in time, police are there both to deter any offences being committed and to reassure the public that we are there to deal with anything that happens,” he said.

He said paramilitaries were not in control of the estate, which is near the PSNI’s training college, and that police were not just standing by watching people being put out of their homes.

“We can only do something if there is a complaint or if there is an offence detected,” he said.

“We haven’t seen any offences today, otherwise we would have made arrests and we haven’t received complaints from members of the public as yet.”

Feud

It is understood some people have left their homes in Garnerville over the feud.

The police said they were called to the area after reports of large numbers of people on the streets, but there were no reports of any trouble.

A senior loyalist source told the BBC that UVF members went to the area on Sunday night and warned those with LVF links to leave.

Meanwhile, a fire has caused extensive damage to a taxi depot on the Ballysillan Road in north Belfast at about 0300 BST. Two other properties were also damaged.

A blast bomb landed in the garden of a disabled man’s home in the Westway area of Ballygomartin at about 0400 BST. No-one was injured.

Two lives have been claimed in the dispute between the paramilitary Ulster Volunteer Force and Loyalist Volunteer Force groupings.

Daily Ireland

By Jarlath Kearney
j.kearney@dailyireland.com

click to view - Nuala O’Loan

A decision by the British government to give MI5 control of intelligence-gathering in the North has prompted Police Ombudsman Nuala O’Loan to voice “major concerns”.
In an exclusive and in-depth interview with Daily Ireland, Mrs O’Loan expressed significant unease about the implications of the security service’s enhanced role.
She said MI5 primacy over intelligence could “diminish” confidence in the North’s policing accountability mechanisms.
Former secretary of state Paul Murphy announced through a parliamentary statement in February 2005 that “the security service will assume for Northern Ireland the lead responsibility it has had for national security intelligence work since 1992 in Great Britain”.
Mr Murphy said the transfer of control over all intelligence-gathering away from the PSNI Crime Operations Department would be completed by 2007.
Crucially, he added: “The powers and responsibilities of the Policing Board, the Police Ombudsman and the Oversight Commissioner to oversee policing are not affected by this change.”
Mr Murphy’s statement means that the British government will not extend the Police Ombudsman’s remit to cover investigations of alleged MI5 malpractice.
Nuala O’Loan said yesterday that Mr Murphy’s parliamentary announcement could jeopardise accountability over the running of agents and intelligence-gathering.
While noting “there is some level of discussion due to take place” with the British government over the issue, Mrs O’Loan also revealed that her office had not been consulted beforehand.
“The police complaints system, I think, is enhancing confidence in the police. If it undermines, if it removes part of the ability of the police complaints system and current accountability mechanism to do that, then it is possible that confidence will be diminished,” Mrs O’Loan said.
“My concerns are around accountability. If there is less accountability of those who are running informants and if we look at the history of informants and the extent to which they may or may not have been engaged in crime, there is a serious issue. There must be proper accountability for that,” she added.
Following May’s Westminster election, Paul Murphy was transferred from his post as the North’s secretary of state to become chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee at Westminster.
Mrs O’Loan’s comments follow similar remarks by police oversight commissioner Al Hutchinson in June. Speaking to Daily Ireland after publishing his 13th oversight report, Mr Hutchinson said an enhanced role for MI5 would “risk undermining the progress of the Patten recommendations if [it] does not have proper accountability”.

Sinn Féin

Published: 25 July, 2005

Sinn Féin MLA for North Belfast Kathy Stanton as this afternoon described as ’sinister’ loyalist death threats made against leading republican Martin Meehan.

Mr Meehan was visited by the PSNI today and told that they had received information that he would be assassinated within 24 hours. Several other unnamed people are also under threat.

Speaking this afternoon Ms Stanton said:

“These latest threats against my party colleague from unionist paramilitaries is a sinister development. This is undoubtedly part of a wider trend of intimidation by loyalists aimed at the nationalist community.

“Over the past number of months there has been a continuous and orchestrated campaign of intimidation directed towards the nationalist community in Belfast. Homes have been attacked, people assaulted and now an escalation of intra-loyalist feuding. All of this leads nationalists to believe that these gangs are operating with complete impunity.

“The threats against Martin Meehan reinforce the need for vigilance within the wider nationalist community in these tense summer months. Those who continue to coat-trail and march triumphantly through catholic areas must also bear some responsibility for the continuing escalation of sectarian tensions.” ENDS

BreakingNews.ie

25/07/2005 - 12:11:14

Opponents of the plan to build a motorway through the Tara-Skryne valley in Co Meath are due to mount a protest in the area this evening.

The demonstration will take place at the foot of the Hill of Tara, close to where the proposed M3 is being built.

The Save Tara-Skryne Valley group said the protest was arranged to highlight anger at the way in which archaeological excavations were being carried out.

The group said mechanical diggers were being used despite assurances to the contrary, while normal procedures such as the hand-sifting of top soil were not being observed.

BreakingNews.ie

25/07/2005 - 14:04:37

Police and soldiers moved into a Belfast estate today after loyalist paramilitaries forced families to flee their homes.

Ulster Volunteer Force men ordered households suspected of associations with the rival Loyalist Volunteer Force to get out.

They were ousted from houses at Garnerville, east Belfast, as part of a developing feud between the two organisations. Two men have already been killed in the bloody dispute.

In north Belfast, an arson attack on a taxi depot and the blast-bombing of a house were both linked to the conflict.

But it was the move to force out at least six families last night that provoked outrage.

The police district commander for east Belfast called for any available peacebrokers to intervene.

Chief Superintendent Henry Irvine said: “I would appeal for calm and would urge those in the community with influence to use that influence.

“We are very much aware of the concerns of the local community. These situations, as we often say, cannot be resolved by police alone.

“But let me assure you my officers are on the ground and are working hard to resolve the tensions.”

BreakingNews.ie

25/07/2005 - 12:56:58

Members of the Ulster Volunteer Force are openly patrolling the Garnerville area of east Belfast today as part of a deepening feud with the rival Loyalist Volunteer Force.

Yesterday, armed and masked UVF men forced several families with LVF links to leave the area.

Several dozen paramilitaries are standing around openly in the area today, presumably to prevent those families from returning to their homes.

The PSNI has insisted that it is doing what it can to keep the peace and a police helicopter is monitoring the situation.

Irelandclick.com

Fr Troy pays tribute to emergency services after early morning attack

Parish Priest of Holy Cross Church in Ardoyne, Fr Aidan Troy, has paid tribute to the emergency services which quickly arrived on the scene after the Passionist monastery was attacked by three petrol bombs.

The monastery’s roof was targeted in the attack which originated from the loyalist Woodvale Road area just after 2am on Saturday morning. Part of the roof caved in and fell on to the kitchen floor after two devices were thrown. The kitchen was smoke- and water-damaged as a result.

A third petrol bomb was thrown when the PSNI and fire crews arrived. Stones were thrown at the PSNI from Twaddell Avenue.

The PSNI said they were treating the attack as sectarian.

Last week Fr Aidan Troy came in for scathing criticism from unionist politicians for asking the British government to provide evidence to back up their reasons for revoking Sean Kelly’s licence and sending the republican back to jail.

Speaking to the Andersonstown News yesterday, the parish priest said he was reluctant to link the petrol bomb attack with his comments on Seán Kelly.
“These things happen for a whole lot of reasons. When I came here first four years ago, the monastery was set on fire. I wasn’t even here 96 hours when it happened. So you can’t tell what reasons lie behind terror attacks.

“I just feel saddened by it. It saddens me that we’re living in an awful time of death and destruction. That girl from Waterford who died on the bus, people in Egypt, and those people who went on the London underground and never came back.”

Paying tribute to the emergency services who came to the monastery’s aid Fr Aidan Troy said the attack could have been much more serious.

“This could have taken hold of the building very easily, but it didn’t – so it could have been a lot worse. And I’m grateful no one was hurt. The emergency services were great and I would like to pay tribute to them. It’s a great shame they were attacked.”

Fr Troy said the clergy in Holy Cross had received great support from their parishioners as well as other denominations in the area.

The Bishop of Down and Connor Bishop Patrick Walsh also paid the church a personal visit to see the damage for himself.

Sinn Féin North Belfast Assembly member Gerry Kelly said there was no justification for the attack.

“Holy Cross monastery is a focal point for the local nationalist community,” he said.

“It could very easily have been much worse. It is fortunate that we are not dealing with worse damage here, and indeed deaths, as a result of this petrol bomb attack.”

DUP MLA for North Belfast Nelson McCausland, who had sharply criticised the parish priest for his comments on Seán Kelly, said he condemned the attack.
“I deplore the attack on the church. Over the years there have been many attacks on churches and Orange halls across Northern Ireland. All such attacks are to be deplored and are unacceptable in a civilised society.”

The DUP man refused to comment on the motives for the petrol bomb attack.
“It’s pointless to speculate on what factors motivated a single attack – unless one questions the person who threw the petrol bomb, you don’t know what’s going on.”

Journalist:: Áine McEntee

Belfast Telegraph

**There should be more people like Pat Nolan

By Fiona McIlwaine Biggins
25 July 2005

An Ulster animal lover who runs a sanctuary in Fermanagh has received a national award in recognition of his devotion to the welfare of animals.

Pat Nolan, who runs the Bright Eyes Animal Sanctuary near Ballinamallard in Fermanagh was awarded the “Lifetime Dedication Award” in the International Fund for Animal Welfare’s Animal Action Awards 2005.

The Fermanagh man has devoted more than 25 years to looking after dogs and cats and founded the well-known sanctuary to save animals from untimely deaths.

Many of them are left with him by their owners, who could no longer care for them, and at capacity he might have up to 60 dogs.

However, in a new development and in association with the Dogs Trust, he can now find new homes in England for many of them.

In addition, there has been a reduction in dogs needing his care as many people are listening to the spaying and neutering campaign for their pets.

Sadly the situation is not so positive for the many cats which need looking after at the sanctuary by Mr Nolan and three full-time volunteers who work alongside him.

He was praised by the organisers of the award and Phyllis Campbell-McCrae, UK director of IFAW, said: “Pat is an inspiration.

“He has done incredible work to help animals.

“All the winners are real animal heroes who give up all their time and effort to rescue and care for wildlife and pets.”

Mr Nolan was unable to collect the award in person in the House of Lords recently due to his commitment to the sanctuary, but Lord Stratford, who was renowned for his animal welfare campaigning, collected the award for him

Lord Stratford said: “He has dedicated his life to stopping animal suffering and is an example to us all.

“He really deserves the award and our gratitude because without him so many animals would have suffered terrible lives or died.”

The award was passed on to him this week by Enniskillen vet, Maeve Lunny, who has worked closely with him to provide medical care for the animals housed at the sanctuary.

Belfast Telegraph

SF urges boards to hold out for a ‘real budget’

By Kathryn Torney, Education Correspondent
ktorney@belfasttelegraph.co.uk
25 July 2005

EDUCATION board members across Northern Ireland have been urged to refuse to work with the “inadequate” budgets provided by the Department of Education.

Sinn Fein representatives on all five boards are re-taking their seats as board members but say they will not manage or police the budget.

Sinn Fein education spokesperson Michael Ferguson said: “Sinn Fein has a campaign that is focused on demanding from Government a real budget that supports education and learning.

“Sinn Fein council members will be taking their seats on education boards and they will be not only be refusing to police or manage the inadequate budgets provided by the government and education department, but they will be insisting that the public are informed of any elected representative or non-elected representative who puts his or her name to axing jobs, cutting school services, special needs or transport.

“I would take this opportunity to call on all other elected representatives and non-elected representatives to join with us and refuse to impose this budget that will lead to more cuts in jobs and services consequently reducing the quality of education for our children.”

Last year, the boards agreed to cut a total of £30m from their spending in a bid to stay within budget. Services including special needs provision, school meals, transport and school crossing patrols were hit by the controversial cutbacks.

Education Minister Angela Smith recently announced an additional £12.5m for education in Northern Ireland.

The news was welcomed but is not enough to deal with the shortfall in funding for board services.

It recently emerged that the South Eastern and Belfast education boards had overspent their budgets by millions of pounds for the second year in a row.

The Belfast Telegraph then revealed that the BELB had filed its accounts for the last financial year 18 days late, sparking criticism from the Department.

Belfast Telegraph

**Their very name is offensive

By Sarah Brett
sbrett@belfasttelegraph.co.uk
25 July 2005

PLANS for a 500 strong demonstration by Protestants on the route of the Apprentice Boys parade in Derry have met with a muted response from all quarters.

Police in the city have confirmed that a group called Protestants Against Republican Aggression (Para) has formally applied to hold a protest on August 13 at Ferryquay Street, traditionally the flashpoint area during loyal order marches though the west bank.

The group says it wants to “highlight the provocative campaign led by convicted republican terrorists who annually disrupt loyal order parades in the city by threatening public protests”.

For several years the August Apprentice Boys march in Derry has passed off without serious incident, due to a pioneering talks process between the loyal order and nationalist residents chaired by local businessmen.

The template was most recently used to success when a ground breaking accommodation was made for the July 12 Orange Order parade though the city.

The Apprentice Boys today refused to comment on the proposed protest, as did the police, who would not be drawn on how they would treat a potential rally.

Chief mediator in previous talks, businessman Garbhan O’Doherty also declined to respond.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Bogside Resident Group, Donncha MacNiallais, said that he “won’t be taking any notice” of the proposal.

In a statement to the Telegraph, Para said its aim on August 13 will be to “highlight the civil rights issue on behalf of the victims of republican terror, who annually as part of the Apprentice Boys festival parade in this city as loyal order members, have to suffer spitting, verbal and physical abuse and the photographing, video recording and targeting of themselves and their associates by republican elements”.

Para has given notice to the PSNI that it expects 500 people to turn out for the protest between 1pm and 3pm - the height of the march - at Ferryquay Street running into the Diamond.

Recent years have seen the erection of perspex walls to separate nationalists from marchers in this area where a number of minor skirmishes have broken out.

BreakingNews.ie

25/07/2005 - 10:45:50

A hoax bomb planted outside the Four Courts in Dublin caused major traffic disruption in the city this morning.

The package was found by staff arriving for work at around 8am.

The Four Courts were subsequently evacuated and a section of the quays was closed off, causing traffic disruption in the area, as well as tailbacks in other parts of the city.

Bomb disposal experts carried out a controlled explosion on the device before declaring it an elaborate hoax.

BBC

Police said fire at taxi office was arson

A bomb and attack and a deliberate fire in north Belfast are linked to a feud between the LVF and UVF paramilitary groups, the police have said.

A fire caused extensive damage to a taxi depot on the Ballysillan Road at about 0300 BST. Two other properties were also damaged.

A blast bomb was thrown at a house in the Westway area of Ballygomartin at about 0400 BST. No-one was injured.

It is understood some people have left their east Belfast homes over the feud.

The police said they were called to the Garnerville area of the city on Sunday following reports of large numbers of people on the streets, but there were no reports of any trouble.

A senior loyalist source has told the BBC that UVF members went to the area and warned those with LVF links to leave.

“These people are very irresponsible and what they are doing is satanic work - it is pure evil.”
Samuel McIlwaine
Blast bomb victim

Samuel McIlwaine, who is disabled, said the blast bomb exploded in the driveway of his Ballygomartin home, behind his son’s car.

“It landed in the wrong house,” he said.

“These people are very irresponsible. What they are doing is satanic work - it is pure evil.

“It happened at about 0350 (BST). I had been up most of the night with painful legs because I am disabled.

“I had just got back to bed and I was just in bed a couple of minutes when there was this almighty blast.”

Mr McIlwaine had to use an electric chairlift to get down the stairs.

“My wife and I are pretty shaken by it, it really took us by surprise. We are members of no organisation - I am a Christian.”

Fire station officer Alan Cunningham said fire crews from Westland Road and Springfield Road attended the taxi depot blaze, which looked to have been started deliberately.

“They discovered a commercial block comprising a shop, a taxi rank, a domestic flat and a fast food restaurant with large amounts of smoke issuing from the roof space,” he said.

“Immediately, two breathing apparatus crews gained entry by forcing entry to the flat.

“It was found to be heavily smoke-logged, unoccupied and no fire present.”

However, a well-developed fire was discovered in the taxi rank, he said.

“It engulfed two of the four rooms in there. The taxi rank was extensively damaged in the fire.

“Indications at the time would have led us to believe it was deliberately set on fire… crews discovered that there was an open first floor window when they arrived at the scene.

“Thankfully nobody was hurt, the flat next door was empty.”

Allowance warning

Two lives have been claimed in the dispute between the paramilitary Ulster Volunteer Force and Loyalist Volunteer Force groupings.

At the weekend, Progressive Unionist Party leader David Ervine predicted that the feud was going to get worse.

Mr Ervine also revealed that the UVF had stopped debating whether it will follow the IRA into a new mode.

He said the UVF had been consulting on its future but has put the debate about going into a new peaceful mode on hold.

Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain has said he intends to withhold the PUP’s assembly allowances for another year because of its links to the UVF and Red Hand Commando.

Mr Ervine accused the government of trying to push the party out of politics.