SAOIRSE32

BN.ie

01/12/2006 - 14:52:29

The Tánaiste Michael McDowell, today urged voters not to sleepwalk into a coalition government supported by Sinn Féin.

As the latest opinion poll revealed strong support for the Fianna Fáil/PD partnership, the Justice Minister warned any other alternative would be a lead balloon.

“Are we going to sleepwalk into a Fianna Fáil/Labour coalition which is not wanted by most people, or are we going to sleep walk into a Fianna Fáil government supported from the outside by Sinn Féin?” he asked.

“A lot of people would have huge fears about that situation arising and what I’m saying is don’t waste your vote on a lead balloon.”

The Fianna Fáil/PD coalition received a confidence boost with the latest poll showing they had backing of 42% of the electorate.

The survey of 1,000 voters, only six weeks since the last, shows the partners have improved their chances of regaining control of the next Dáil with the Fine Gael-Labour alliance, with the possible participation of the Green Party, only securing 31% support, the same as in October.

Backing for the individual parties shows Fianna Fáil out in front with 40% of the vote, up 1%, while their closest rivals Fine Gael also gained 1% giving them a 27% slice of the vote.

The rest of the parties lag some distance behind with Labour showing no change since October sitting on 11%; Sinn Féin dropped 1% to 7%; the Greens lost further ground down 2% to 4% and the PDs resting on 3%, a fall of 1% in the last six weeks. Independents/others have 8%, a rise of 2%.

The poll also found Taoiseach Bertie Ahern remains the nation’s choice as leader with a satisfaction rating of 59%, the second-highest rating he has achieved since the last election.

The poll was taken last Monday and Tuesday from 1,000 voters at 100 sampling points in all 43 constituencies.

BBC

A split within the DUP over the St Andrews Agreement is not in the wider interests of unionism, Ulster Unionist leader Sir Reg Empey has said.

The DUP held talks amidst claims of party discontent

The DUP leadership held a one-day meeting near Templepatrick on Friday to agree party strategy towards power-sharing.

Interviewed for BBC’s Inside Politics, Sir Reg said the evidence of division within the DUP was obvious.

“We understand it, everyone knows it and it’s not surprising,” he said.

“They have launched on a policy for which they have no mandate and which is against everything they stood for for the last 40 years,” he said.

“While some people may say it’s happy days for you guys seeing your biggest critics in the same position as you once were.

“(But) in the wider unionist context there are very great dangers out there for unionism generally and I don’t think it’s going to help if the DUP become so split up that they become incoherent.”

Sunday Business Post
By Ian Kehoe
November 26, 2006

Tom McFeely, the IRA-hunger-striker-turned-property-developer, is at the centre of a multi-million-euro court battle with a rival development company.

Dublin property company Rivertree Property Developments has taken a High Court action against McFeely following a dispute over the sale of property.

Rivertree lodged documents with the High Court several weeks ago and the matter has now been transferred to the Commercial Court, a division of the High Court that fast-tracks multi-million-euro disputes.

The case centres on McFeely’s involvement in the €500 million redevelopment of The Square shopping centre in Tallaght, Dublin. McFeely and his business partner own a one third share in the Millennium Square project.

McFeely has retained Dublin law firm John B O’Connor, and has indicated that he intends to defend the action.

The case is due to be heard next month, and is expected to last two days.

Rivertree Property Developments was this year involved in the sale of two houses on Shrewsbury Road, where residential properties are the most expensive in the country. The company had applied to demolish 1 and 3 Shrewsbury Road and build apartments, but it did not receive planning permission.

The houses were subsequently sold to Dublin financier and wealth manager Derek Quinlan.

McFeely, who spent 53 days on hunger strike in Long Kesh prison in 1980, is involved in the Tallaght deal with Quinlan and property developer and solicitor Noel Smyth.

The redevelopment will include the creation of a new main street for the west Dublin town.

**From R.S.F news Irish Republican Information Service no 88
saoirse.info
29 November 2006

IN A statement on November 29, issued through the Pat Finucane Centre in Derry, Jean Mc Bride welcomed the decision of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London not to award a major £40 million private security contract in Afghanistan to Aegis Defence Services, whose CEO is Lt Col Tim Spicer.

However, she said she will take a legal action against the British FCO unless Aegis is removed from the British FCO list of companies invited to tender for security contracts. Jean Mc Bride’s son Peter was murdered by two members of the British Army in Belfast in 1992.

Two soldiers, Mark Wright and James Fisher, were convicted of the murder. Their Commanding Officer was Tim Spicer and he sought to portray an entirely fictitious and untruthful version of the events preceding, during and following the actual murder, according to Jean Mc Bride.

In advance of the British FCO decision Jean Mc Bride had made representations to British ministry officials pointing to Spicer’s actions following the murder of her son and his subsequent activities in Papua New Guinea, Sierra Leone and Iraq. See correspondence to the British FCO at www.patfinucanecentre.org.

In welcoming the fact that Aegis did not win the contract Jean Mc Bride reminded the British FCO that legal action was still pending should they refuse her request to remove Aegis from the list of companies invited to submit tenders for ‘private security’ contracts.

“The FCO have been provided with detailed reasons as to why a man who has sought to justify the murder of my son is not fit to be in charge of armed security guards/mercenaries in conflict zones. If Aegis is not removed from the list I will pursue a legal action through the courts. I hope that my intervention made the FCO think twice about doing business with Spicer.”

Jean Mc Bride had requested that the British FCO urgently review the decision to include Aegis Defence Services on the list of companies invited to submit tenders for this or any other British government contract involving the use of private security/ mercenary companies in conflict zones throughout the world.

Jean Mc Bride had also requested that the British FCO ensure that Aegis Defence Services not be awarded this or any other British government contract involving the use of private security/ mercenary companies in conflict zones throughout the world.

In correspondence Jean Mc Bride noted,

“If the Foreign and Commonwealth Office or any other government department allows Aegis Defence Services to remain on the list of companies invited to submit tenders for this or any other Government contract involving the use of private security/ mercenary companies in conflict zones throughout the world and/or if Aegis Defence Services is awarded the contract to provide security services to the British Government in Kabul and various other locations across Afghanistan, including Kandahar and Helmand Province then Mrs Jean Mc Bride will seek legal opinion with a view to judicially reviewing any decision to allow Aegis Defence Services to remain on the list and/or be awarded said contract.” Aegis was one of six companies invited to submit tenders.