SAOIRSE32

Belfast Telegraph
Friday, 18 July 2008

Northern Ireland’s prisons are bursting at the seams, putting officers under pressure. Crime Correspondent Deborah McAleese reports.

Prison guards are struggling to cope with swelling prisoner numbers as Ulster’s jail population reaches an all time high, a union official warned yesterday.

A total of 1,535 sentenced and remand prisoners are currently behind bars in the province’s three prisons — the highest number to date.

The whole prison estate has exceeded its single cell capacity, and with the upcoming introduction of tough new public protection arrangements, the prisoner population is expected to continue to bulge.

“It is a pressurised job anyway, but this prisoner overcrowding does not make life any easier,” said Finlay Spratt of the Prison Officers’ Association.

He continued: “When the numbers increase it causes difficulties on the landings when we have to double up prisoners.

“The trend would be that the numbers are going up and are going to keep going up.

“The quicker we get extra space the better as prison staff are under major pressure.

“The high level of sick leave adds to the pressure put on staff left to carry the burden.”

The prison population has been rising rapidly over the past few years.

Prison Service statistics reveal that this month there are 1,535 sentenced and remand prisoners. During the same period in 2001 there were 900.

Earlier this week the head of |the Northern Ireland Prison Service Robin Masefield said the |Service is “better equipped than ever to deal with the ongoing challenges”.

He acknowledged that the implementation of the Criminal Justice Order will place additional pressures on staff, but added that with “the continued commitment and support of all I am confident that we will continue to deliver a service which represents best value and of which the public can be justly proud”.

Four hundred new prison places and a new prison have been promised by the Government in a bid to stave off the overcrowding crisis plaguing prisons across the UK and the Republic.

In England, the government released 28,000 criminals early in under a year in a bid to reduce serious overcrowding.

Earlier this week, prison officers in the Republic blamed chronic overcrowding for a weekend riot by over 70 inmates at Dublin’s Mountjoy Jail.

There are currently 609 inmates in the facility, which was only designed to hold 420 prisoners.

Around 35 inmates barricaded themselves into the recreation area in the prison’s D-wing and forced staff to withdraw.

Deputy General Secretary of the Irish Prison Officers Association Eugene Dennehy said the |incident was not the first of its kind and the issue of overcrowding needs to be tackled immediately.

And in Scotland John Scott, chairman of the Edinburgh Bar Association, last month called for judges and sheriffs to be limited in the sentences they can impose in an attempt to tackle overcrowding in prisons and reoffending.

Mr Scott said judges and sheriffs should be banned from passing jail sentences of less than 12 months.

Policing and Justice Minister Paul Goggins hopes the 400 extra prison spaces for Northern Ireland will help to meet the population pressures here over the next four or five years.

In the long term, the minister has hopes that the planned new 800-place prison on the site of the existing Magilligan Prison will avert any real overcrowding problems.

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Date: 17 Iúil /July 2008

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In this issue:

1. Tara’s world heritage significance
2. Press release - Justice for the Forgotten
3. Violence erupts for loyalist twelfth
4. Mi5 harassment intensifies
5. Loyalists attack Broadway residents
6. Man injured still in coma
7. Woodward apologises for misinformation
8. Former soldier tells attack on dance hall
9. ‘Kill all Taigs’ slogan and Tricolour on loyalist bonfire
10. Bishop defends his decision on petition
11. Guantanamo interrogation video released
12. Un committee to question rendition stance
13. Un human rights panel raises fears over Irish policies
14. Cleaning firm kept staff in stable
15. Mayo family complains over Shell surveillance
16. Jobs transfer - staff vote for industrial action
17. Greens urge Ryan to consider moving Corrib gas refinery
18. Géarghá le beartas oideachais nua, arsa an Conradh

1. TARA’S WORLD HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE

Following the largest ever international gathering of archaeologists in Dublin, Ireland, the World Archaeological Congress released a statement on July 11 expressing its opposition to any further development alongside the new stretch of motorway in the wider landscape zone surrounding the historical site of Tara in Co Meath, Ireland.

“Tara has significance far beyond Ireland itself,” said Professor Claire Smith, President of the World Archaeological Congress. “Its iconic significance derives from its unique cultural character, as situated in a broader landscape. The World Archaeological Congress strongly encourages the Irish Government (sic) to instigate formal protection measures for this area, and to consider nominating Tara for inscription as a World Heritage site.

“Prior to the holding of the Sixth World Archaeological Congress here in Ireland, we sent two senior representatives to look at the issue of the motorway,” said Professor Claire Smith. “They found that all the archaeological work had been done to the highest professional standards.”

However, during the Congress a number of competing and often contradictory claims were made and the World Archaeological Congress has now commissioned a report on the Tara discussions. The World Archaeological Congress stressed that its report would not interfere with the legal and consultative planning process already completed in Ireland.

“We do not question the validity of the planning process undertaken in Ireland. Our purpose is to learn lessons for the future and for other countries with issues surrounding development archaeology,” said Professor Smith.

“There are many strong opinions about Tara and it is important that valid claims receive due attention, and that misinformation be sifted out. This can only be done through a considered study,” Professor Smith said. Recognising that the reburial of ancient remains in Ireland is subject to the provisions of the National Monuments Act and the agreement of the National Museum of Ireland, the World Archaeological Congress also draws attention to the Vermillion Accord on human remains and suggests that any human remains excavated from the cultural landscape of Tara should be re-interred with due respect as close as possible to their original locations, as this is where these people would have wished to be buried.

The World Archaeological Congress notes the significant adverse impact that motorways and other forms of development can have on valuable cultural landscapes. “Throughout the world, developments such as motorways can have significant adverse impact on cultural landscapes,” said Professor Smith.

“Cultural heritage needs to be factored into the planning process from the beginning. In order to address these issues from a global perspective the World Archaeological Congress will be holding an Inter-Congress with the theme “Rethinking relations of Archaeology and Development.”

The Inter-Congress on archaeology and development is likely to be held in Lund, Sweden, in 2009.

Further Information: Professor Claire Smith
Email: claire.smith@flinders.edu.au

The World Archaeological Congress (WAC) is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization and is the only elected international body of practising archaeologists. WAC holds an international congress every four years to promote the exchange of the results of archaeological research; professional training and public education for disadvantaged nations, groups and communities; the empowerment and betterment of Indigenous groups and First Nations peoples; and the conservation of archaeological sites.

The Sixth World Archaeological Congress (WAC-6) was held from 29th June-4th July at the University College Dublin. This was the first World Archaeological Congress to be held in Ireland. It was attended by over 1,800 archaeologists, native peoples and international scholars from 74 nations. Motions from the Plenary session of the Congress were considered by subsequent meetings of the World Archaeological Congress Council and Executive.

2. JUSTICE FOR THE FORGOTTEN

ON July, 10 2008, the organisation representing victims and survivors of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, Justice for the Forgotten, welcomed the all-party motion on the issue of collusion and the Barron Reports.

The motion urged the British government, “to allow access by an independent, international judicial figure to all original documents held by the British government relating to the atrocities…inquired into by Judge Barron.”

This cross-party statement is of vital importance in light of the fact that, as the Sub-Committee noted in their Final Report on the Reports of the Independent Commission of Inquiry, “all of the Barron reports [were] frustrated by the absence of any real co-operation from the British security forces.”

Justice for the Forgotten calls on the British government to act promptly on this motion and looks forward to the appointment of an independent, international judicial figure.

Judge Barron investigated the involvement of the ‘Glenanne gang’ in these and other atrocities. His reports, available on the PFC website at http://www.patfinucanecentre.org/dubmon/intro.html showed widespread and systematic British State involvement in loyalist death squads in Mid Ulster in the 1970s. At present the Pat Finucane Centre is cooperating with the Historical Enquiries Team in the re-investigation of a number of attacks carried out by this group of UVF, UDR, and RUC members.
Contact Derry office info@patfinucanecentre.org or Newry office newry@patfinucanecentre.org Website www.patfinucanecentre.org

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Belfast Telegraph
Thursday, 17 July 2008

The role of informers in Northern Ireland’s dirty war remains a story of half-truths. Brian Rowan wonders if the pieces of the jigsaw will ever be completed

Full disclosure has its repercussions and no community would be left unscathed.” That comment, some weeks old now, is about informers and was made in a speech by the Eames/Bradley Consultative Group on Northern Ireland’s Past.

It was said for a purpose, something of a warning — a hint at what is hidden inside this particular can of worms.

“The scale of the use of informers throughout the conflict corroded the fabric of our communities and the constant pressure now exerted for information about informers to be revealed only serves to further undermine the well being of communities to a degree that could be poisonous. We all need to reflect on this matter,” Denis Bradley said those few weeks ago.

No one expects those informers, loyalist and republican, to be paraded on our peace stage, to be shamed after the ‘war’.

That would be ‘poisonous’.

Nor are we the first to struggle with this issue.

It was something Graeme Simpson, a man of international experience in peace building and reconciliation work, talked about in Belfast recently. Mr Simpson worked with the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission and now is a director at the International Centre for Transitional Justice in New York.

His message, to an audience brought together by the group Healing Through Remembering, is that dealing with the past and its many issues happens not in a ‘moment’ but in a ‘process’.

The role of informers is one of many questions — this particular question being a matter for the state.

“The one thing that I should say as a precursor is that there are no absolutes and that the fragility of a peace process will determine how much you can do at what moment, and I do think we need to think about these as processes and not moments,” Graeme Simpson said.

“So, there is the potential for sequencing,” he said, “where you actually take on these things when society is more ready and so you can move forward with some of these processes and delay grappling with some of the others until there is a slightly safer space.

“I don’t think it’s we do or we don’t,” he said. The question then: is what to do and when to do it?

The issue of informers is important, not their names, more the positions they held, the knowledge they had and how the information they provided to the Special Branch and the Security Service was used.

Equally important is the information they did not provide, and then there is the question of the orders they themselves gave or knew about in their paramilitary roles.

All of this strays into the ground of national security and takes us inside the dirty war.

We are told it is not in the public interest for such information to be disclosed and yet, if it is not, you are reduced to a half truth or partial truth process.

The exploration of the past is not just about the IRA and the loyalists. There are questions for many others.

The informers became part of a war play.

It is a story not just about what was prevented as a result of information they provided, but also what they didn’t tell and what was allowed to happen.

Mark Haddock has moved to stop the media from reporting his new identity when he is released from prison. This is Haddock of the UVF, paid thousands of pounds by the Special Branch and described by a past official of the Police Ombudsman’s Office as “a serial killer”. Haddock is a tiny piece in a much bigger jigsaw, and the picture, if ever completed, will tell a poisonous story.

The informers, we are told, saved lives. But what was the human cost of protecting them inside their organisations?

Will that question ever be answered?

To do so would disturb the narrative of the past 30-plus years.

UVF informer Mark Haddock was paid thousands of pounds by Special Branch

Derry Journal
17 July 2008

Three men arrested in Derry on Tuesday over the attempted murder of an off-duty policeman have been released without charge.

The incident happened in the Bishop Street area of the city in November 2007.

The 43-year-old Catholic officer, from the Bogside area of the city, was shot and wounded after dropping his son off at school.

The Real IRA admitted responsibility for the shooting at the time.

Andersonstown News
Belfast Media
**Via Newshound
by Joe diamond

A LARGE Orange march through Dunmurry village on Saturday passed off peacefully.

Interface workers spent hours ensuring the area remained calm, despite being subjected to sectarian abuse by elements within the marchers and their supporters, in full view of two representatives of the Parades Commission.

Thousands of bandsmen took almost two hours to pass through the village to the nearby Fullerton Park.

Several lodges carried banners proclaiming support for various loyalist paramilitary organisations, including the UDA and YCV.

In an earlier incident, a mob of loyalists armed with bottles and wooden bats attempted to make their way into Dunmurry Lane on Friday night (July 11), but fled when confronted by members of the Colin Safer Neighbourhood Project.

Paul Butler, Lagan Valley Sinn Féin MLA, said: “A number of issues have arisen from today’s march (Saturday), which I intend to raise with the Parades Commission.

“Almost every band played the Sash as they passed by the Motte ’n’ Bailey public house.

“Several marchers, particularly members of lodges from Stoneyford and Ballymacash, shouted sectarian abuse and made obscene gestures towards the bar.

“A number of lodges were carrying banners commemorating loyalist paramilitaries including John McMichael and Jim Guiney.

“In future restrictions should be placed on parades going past the Motte ’n’ Bailey. There are several marches through Dunmurry village each year and the Parades Commission must recognise that the demographics in the area have changed,” he added.

“Nationalist residents don’t want to stop the parades, but their feelings must be taken on board.”

A member of the Colin Safer Neighbourhood Project, who asked not to be named, said: “To be fair, there were a lot of respectful bands here today, but a number of them were clearly intent on causing trouble. No-one here would object to the parade if they didn’t bring these idiots with them. These bands must have been chosen deliberately to provoke residents, and I really can’t understand why they were allowed to take part in the parade.”

PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Duncan McCausland said hundreds of parades across the North had passed off without major incident on the Twelfth.

He added: “I would like to acknowledge the work carried out by communities and the professionalism of my officers which ensured that today’s events passed off successfully.

“I would encourage people to continuetalking throughout the year in order to find long term, sustainable agreements.”