SAOIRSE32

Irish Examiner

08 August 2005
By Niall Murray, Education Correspondent

GARDA background checks are still not being carried out on workers in schools, community groups or the childcare sector, almost a year after the Government announced an expanded vetting service.
A review of procedures was set up in late 2002, after the murders of 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in Soham, England.

After the conviction of Ian Huntley, it emerged the school caretaker had previously been accused of sexually and indecently assaulting schoolgirls.

Minister for Children Brian Lenihan announced the expansion of the Garda Central Vetting Unit (CVU) last September. The increase in staffing from 13 to 30 would allow the unit expand its scope to all those who work with children and vulnerable adults.

But extra personnel have not been recruited because the unit is being moved from garda headquarters in Dublin to Thurles, Co Tipperary. The Department of Justice said phased expansion of CVU services will begin later this year.

But, with schools due to reopen later this month, the National Parents Council (Primary) is disappointed with the delays.

Chief executive Fionnuala Kilfeather said: “This is a sign of the priority, or lack of it, being given to the very important issue of child protection.”

“There should be no room for complacency on this matter and waiting for office space or anything else should not be an issue,” she said.

While the delays have angered parents, the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) is satisfied the vetting unit will expand its brief later this year.

But chief executive, Paul Gilligan, said it also needs to be considered if ‘soft information’ can be processed. This involves situations where a person might not have been prosecuted, but may have faced allegations or have been suspended or dismissed from previous employment.

The vetting unit processes around 100,000 requests a year but is restricted to checking for convictions against prospective full-time employees of the Health Service Executive (HSE), agencies it funds, and workers on childcare schemes funded by the Department of Justice.

It is an offence for anybody on the sex offenders register to apply for a job working with children; the process has already identified a number of people unsuitable to work with children seeking employment in the health services.

Daily Ireland

By Connla Young
c.young@dailyireland.com
Published 8/08/2005

Photo of grave (from Ireland’s Own)

Republicans from across Co Derry gathered yesterday to mark the 24th anniversary of the death of hunger striker Thomas McElwee.
The 23-year-old died after 62 days without food on August 8, 1981.
West Tyrone assembly member Barry McElduff spoke at the grave in Bellaghy, Co Derry, that Thomas McElwee shares with his first cousin and fellow hunger striker Francis Hughes.
Mr McElduff referred to the ultimate sacrifice made by the two men and their eight comrades.
The Sinn Féin man described the graveyard where the two men lay as a “hallowed place” and spoke of the significance of the hunger strike to Irish people across the world.
“I believe that that the strength of republicans and the popular support they enjoy is largely the result of two waves of support — the hunger strike and the peace process. Both were responsible for injecting momentum into the republican movement,” he said.
Mr Elduff said he understood that recent weeks had been an emotional time for republicans.
“I understand that people may feel disoriented and possibly feel a sense of loss at the IRA statement of July 28.
“I urge republicans to continue to develop a questioning culture but one that is rooted in activism,” he said.
He said the only legitimate army in Ireland has been the IRA. He also welcomed the British government’s decision to disband the Royal Irish Regiment in the wake of the IRA statement.
The Sinn Féin man said he looked forward to a day when elected representatives in the North could take their seats in Leinster House.
“That would be of huge symbolic importance.
“It would effectively make MPs TDs as well.
“It would be important because it will mean the people of the North will be represented in Leinster House.
“Sinn Féin’s goal is achieve a united Ireland and an Ireland of equals, and the challenge is to deliver that as soon as possible,” he said.
Among those in attendance at the commemoration were members of the McElwee and Hughes families as well as Mid-Ulster MP Martin McGuinness.

BBC

The unidentified man appeared in Kent in April

The identity of the so-called Piano Man found wandering in a soaking wet suit in Kent may never be known.

Since he was found on Sheppey in April, the psychiatric patient who communicates only through his piano music has not spoken a word.

West Kent NHS Trust said on Monday it had checked through most of its leads.

A spokesman said health workers still hoped they could make progress, but it was possible that no-one would come forward with information about him.

‘Stunning performance’

The man was first taken to Medway Maritime Hospital where he drew a picture of a grand piano and was then taken to the hospital chapel.

Health and social workers said they were “stunned” when he proceeded to give them a virtuoso performance.

Theories put forward and later discounted included that the man - now in a secure mental health unit in Dartford - was a French street musician and a Czech concert pianist.

The mystery man produced a pencil drawing of a piano

Appeals led to a worldwide response which at its height generated more than 800 leads.

A Norwegian speaker was brought in to try to communicate with the man, in his 20s or early 30s, after he pointed to Oslo on a map.

A ship from Norway was thought to have been in the area when he was found and there were suggestions that his suit was soaked because he had been in the sea.

His social worker Michael Camp claimed that his client “came to life” at the piano.

All the labels had been removed from his clothes when he was found on The Broadway in Minster, Sheerness.

West Kent NHS Trust said on Monday it was possible no one might ever come forward with information about his identity. “We have worked through most leads but we still have some to pursue,” it said.

Indymedia Ireland

by Yellow-Packer
Monday, Aug 8 2005, 11:17am

‘Four score and seven years ago… the poor knew their place.’

Strabane SDLP member and MLA, Eugene McMenamin has initiated a campaign to prevent homes for low-income families being built in his street. This is the latest in a lifetime’s campaign against the poor.

West Tyrone’s sole SDLP goon and Abe Lincoln impersonator, Eugene McMenamin of Strabane, is an atrocious snob. Unhappy with the proposed development of a property in the Laurel Drive estate (where he lives) into 12 flats (destined for proles – shock horror!) he has organised a petition to halt the conversion.

>>Read it

BBC

Craig McCausland died after being shot in Dhu Varren Park

The family of a victim of the loyalist feud have begun a campaign to bring his killers to justice.

Three men burst into the home Craig McCausland, 20, shared with his partner and her children in north Belfast and fatally wounded him on 11 July.

His family blamed the Ulster Volunteer Force and denied he was involved with the Loyalist Volunteer Force.

His cousin, Nichola McIlvenny, said that they wanted people to co-operate with police.

“They say people are willing to speak to them, but are unwilling to make statements - people are scared in the area and we are trying to urge them to come forward,” she said.

Loyalists killed Craig’s mother, Lorraine, when he was aged two and his family have said that he would never have got involved with paramilitaries.

So far three people have died as a result of the loyalist feud.

BBC

A van was damaged in one of the explosions

Two pipe bomb attacks in County Antrim are being treated as attempted murder, police have said.

In the first attack, a device exploded at about 0430 BST, shattering the window of a van parked in Rosemount in Cloughmills.

The second bomb was thrown at a house in Cypress Park, a short distance away, about 45 minutes later. It exploded showering a living room in glass.

No-one was injured in the attacks which police are blaming on loyalists.

Both areas were cordoned off for a time while Army technical experts examined the scenes.

The incidents are the latest in a series of sectarian attacks which have taken place over the last few weeks in north Antrim.

Investigation

Police believe the families were specifically targeted

Detective Inspector Nick McCaw said he believed the families were specifically targeted.

“At this stage of the inquiry our main focus is that this was a sectarian attack on two Roman Catholic men living in the Cloughmills area,” he said.

“Our investigations will be focussing mainly on loyalist paramilitaries in the north Antrim area.”

Sinn Fein councillor Daithi McKay said that both families had been attacked by loyalists in the past.

“We have seen churches attacked, businesses attacked and homes attacked,” he said.

“These bombings in Cloughmills were the latest instalment in this ongoing campaign.”

SDLP assembly member Sean Farren condemned the attack, saying loyalist gangs were “flexing their muscles all over north Antrim”.

“It needs to be nipped in the bud by robust police action which should have the backing of all sides of the community,” he said.

Meanwhile, a third device found by police on the windowsill of another house in the village did not contain explosives and was declared a hoax.

Police have said the public should be on alert and have urged them not to touch any suspicious looking object.

The Deaths of Kieran Doherty and Thomas McElwee on Hunger Strike

Today marks the 24th anniversary of the death of Thomas McElwee on hunger strike. Please click on the link above to read Sunday’s post.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BreakingNews.ie

08/08/2005 - 07:26:54

The extradition of the three Irishmen convicted of training anti-government rebels in Colombia is reportedly unlikely to ever take place.

Reports this morning said legal experts had indicated that the chances of such a move were remote due to the lack of an extradition treaty between Ireland and Colombia.

Jim Monaghan, Martin McCauley and Niall Connolly have been sentenced to 17 years each in prison for training the Revolutionary Armed Force of Colombia (FARC) in bomb-making techniques.

The men, who all have republican connections, were originally acquitted of the charge, but were convicted on appeal and have been on the run ever since.

Last Friday, it emerged that they were back in Ireland, a move that is already causing problems for the peace process.

In a newspaper article this morning, the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said the Irish Government did not do any deal with Sinn Féin allowing for the men’s return, which he said had caused “enormous difficulties”.

He promised to consider any request for assistance from Colombia, but also pointed to the lack of an extradition treaty with the South American country.

The Tánaiste, Mary Harney, meanwhile, is seeking a garda report on how the men got back into Ireland and has called on Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams to ensure they hand themselves into the Gardaí

Sinn Féin

Published: 8 August, 2005

North Antrim Sinn Fein Councillor Daithi McKay has accused unionist paramilitaries of being behind two pipe bomb attacks in Cloghmills last night. One of the devices was left beside a work van while the other was thrown at the front of a family home.

Speaking from the scene in Cloughmills Cllr. McKay said:

” For sometime unionist paramilitaries in North Antrim egged on by the negative political environment created by the DUP and others in this area have been engaged in a sectarian campaign against Catholics. We have seen churches attacks, businesses attacked and homes attacked. Last nights pipe bombings in Cloughmills were the latest instalment in this ongoing campaign. Despite this reality and the difficulties it causes for the wider political process there has been little focus put into stopping these attacks from either unionist political party.

” In recent weeks the PSNI have attempted to justify this campaign by linking it to a planned anti-internment march in Ballymena. This despite the fact that the campaign pre-dates that plan and has now continued after the Parades Commission restricted the march. Given this view from the PSNI and the complete lack of action so far nationalists will have little confidence in their willingness to tackle this ongoing campaign of violence and intimidation.

” I would appeal to nationalists and republicans in North Antrim to remain highly vigilant in the time ahead as it seems that unionist paramilitary gangs are intent on escalating their campaign. I would also once again appeal to the leadership of the DUP to get a grip on this issue. Instead of acting as cheer leaders for the paramilitary gangs they must for the first time make a stand and begin to treat nationalists in this area with equality and respect.” ENDS

BBC

A Catholic church in Ballymena has been damaged in a paint attack.

The incident, which is the latest in a series of attacks on the Church of Our Lady in Harryville, was discovered on Monday morning.

Damage was caused to a front step and a bottle was found smashed at the scene.