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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/8017532.stm
A key witness in the investigation into the killing of a UDA leader was a drug addict who stole his father's life savings, the High Court has heard.
The claims were made as one of the men charged with murdering Tommy English in October 2000 was refused bail.
Newtownabbey man Robert Stewart is testifying against the alleged UVF gang responsible for the shooting.
A defence lawyer claimed Stewart, who admits helping the killers, suffered post-traumatic stress disorder.
The claims were made as one of the men charged with murdering Mr English in October 2000 was refused bail.
The defence lawyer represented Darren Moore, 39, of Mount Vernon Park, Belfast, who is also accused of two counts of UVF membership. He denies the offences.
With 11 people charged following a new investigation by detectives from the Historical Enquiries Team, a Crown lawyer disclosed that further arrests are planned.
Mr English, 40, a senior member of the Ulster Defence Asociation, was gunned down at his home on the Ballyduff estate, just outside north Belfast.
The case against the suspects depends heavily on evidence supplied by Robert Stewart and his brother David from Newtownabbey, who have pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting in the murder.
They gave accounts of how the killing was planned, with roles assigned to members of the gang.
Mr Moore's barrister claimed his client was not mentioned once during the initial police interviews.
He also claimed that Robert Stewart told detectives he had been on a "downward spiral", taking anti-depressants, diagnosed with PTSD and drinking heavily after being attacked by UVF men.
"Robert Stewart is a self-confessed drug addict and alcoholic," the lawyer claimed.
Another alleged incident involved the stealing of £2,500 life savings from Stewart's father before the brothers headed on a spree to Scotland, the court heard.
According to the lawyer an initially "vague and rambling history" given to police last August became clear and sophisticated by December.
However, a Crown lawyer insisted the witnesses were able to give a detailed account to trained interviewers under controlled circumstances.
http://www.sinnfein.ie
22ú Aibreáin 2009 - 22nd April 2009
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams speaking at a public meeting this evening in Galbally, County Tyrone said:
“The goals of Irish republicanism are simply stated – Irish unity and independence; freedom, justice and equality.
These are our national and democratic goals and everything we do is set within this context.
Republicans can only achieve these goals if we have the active support of citizens across this island.
That is what our strategy – our plan – is about achieving.
It involves popularising republicanism.
It means making republicanism relevant to citizens in their everyday lives.
It means delivering for people across a range of issues which are important to them.
It means party building; that is building a strong empowered Sinn Féin organisation across this island.
It means campaigning on social and economic issues, on every issue related to equality.
It means thinking nationally and acting locally.
It means fighting and winning elections; negotiations; publicity.
It means internationalising the struggle.
In summary, it is about building and using political strength to enable us to deliver real change and to achieve our national and democratic goals.
Persuading Unionists
Partition remains the great immoral interference with Irish national rights.
The Good Friday Agreement transcends partition. It is an all Ireland agreement. Is it good enough? As a settlement? No it is not good enough as a settlement. But then it does not pretend to be a settlement.
However because it deals with the issues needed to bring about an accommodation, because it was capable of winning the support of all the main political parties on this island and because it opens up the potential for a settlement in the time ahead, democrats and republicans support the Agreement.
Our responsibility is to work the agreement and to build on it in the future.
That means defending the Agreement and engaging with unionism on every aspect of it.
It means pointing out to them that the main principles are their legal guarantees of fair treatment in a new shared Ireland.
It means persuading unionists of the merits of all Ireland co-operation and partnership.
It means persuading them of the logic and good sense of Irish unity.
This dimension of our work is about dialogue, good neighbourliness, consensus building. It is about eradicating sectarianism. It is about making friends with unionists. It is about nation building.
Organise for Freedom
It is also about persuading the British government to do the right thing by Ireland.
Lack of time prevents me from dealing with that dimension tonight. Suffice to say that we cannot expect or wait for the British government to do the right thing. We must organise for freedom.
The British government will only leave Ireland, when the Irish people – together – demand that they leave.
We also must be about maintaining internal republican unity and cohesion and building political alliances.
I said earlier that we must act locally and think nationally. Let us be very clear about this. If we are not building locally then we cannot build nationally.
I meet republicans all the time who complain about the slow pace of progress. There is validity in that. But struggle is like that, especially this phase of struggle and there really is no room for spectatorism or hurlers on the ditch at this time.
We don’t have to agree about everything. There is plenty of work to do and room for everyone to do it.
No Place for Militarism, Elitism or Ego
Some former activists, including former IRA volunteers, hark back to the 70s or 80s. This is not the 70s or 80s.
Some have formed armed groups which purport to be the IRA - the CIRA, the RIRA, Oglaigh na h Éireann, the INLA and the IRLA. None of these groups are the IRA.
They have no right to hijack its name or to mimic its actions. They cannot match the IRA for ingenuity, resourcefulness, courage and capacity.
The IRA took armed struggle as far as it was possible to take it.
They fought when it was a time to fight and they took the initiative leading to an end to conflict and sued for peace when peace became possible by other means.
Some involved with these so called dissidents may be genuinely motivated. But that is no excuse. Others are undoubtedly motivated by ego, self gain and opportunism.
All actions have to be judged by how they advance the struggle.
Militarism, elitism or adventurism is no substitute for strategy, good tactics or common sense.
Some take exception to remarks by republican leaders and seize on these in an entirely self serving and negative way.
Others threaten to kill us. Or they actually attack our homes or offices.
Let me make it clear that Sinn Féin is not going to roll over and surrender our struggle to any of these elements. They will come and they will go and the struggle for freedom will prevail and persist and succeed. We will not be deflected.
Significant Progress has been made
40 years ago the Civil Rights movement began the fightback for equality and human rights.
Much has changed since then.
Significant progress has been achieved – not least in the fact that there are more republicans now and more Sinn Féin elected representatives today, than in the last 80 years.
The Orange State is gone.
Its legacy still exists in discrimination, in the inequalities and divisions which persist – not least here west of the Bann – but today republicans and nationalists have made major strides forward and the momentum for change continues.
Of course, it may take time for some unionists to catch up with this changing reality but their leaders know that there is no going back to the old days of sectarian domination and two-tier citizenship.
Over a decade ago, when we achieved the Good Friday Agreement, I said that it would be a battle a day making the institutions work.
Working and negotiating with the DUP is very like that.
Only with some of their representatives the battles are sham fights – more style than substance.
Remember this is a party established 40 years ago to oppose Civil Rights; a party which set its face against power sharing.
This is a party which pledged to smash Sinn Féin.
This is the party that wouldn’t take its seats at the Executive table the last time the institutions were in place and which wouldn’t attend all-Ireland Ministerial meetings.
Where is it today? For the past two years the DUP has been at the Executive table; attending all-Ireland meetings; in government with Sinn Fein, and sharing the office of First and deputy First with Sinn Féin as equals.
And their leaders are to be commended for this.
But let’s be clear about it all.
Like the Afrikaners some unionists continue to oppose change.
The DUP seeks to end power sharing – what it calls ‘mandatory coalition’.
They are reluctant partners. They don’t like equality. They don’t like democracy. They don’t like being part of a system which they cannot dominate.
But one of our tasks is to keep working with the DUP and other unionists because we believe that they are capable of doing bigger and better things.
As genuine democrats and republicans, we recognise the validity and wisdom of Tone’s great call for the unity of Catholic, Protestant and Dissenter and we are committed to bringing this about.
Popularise Republicanism
In the meantime, as we progress toward that goal, we must ensure that the political institutions are soundly based and deliver equality and justice for every citizen.
The relationship between the North of Ireland and Britain has also been fundamentally altered and an increasingly confident republican community is taking co-ownership, as is our right, of every sphere of public, political and institutional life here.
A peaceful and democratic path to a united Ireland has been opened up.
So, Sinn Féin’s historic duty is to popularise republicanism, and to mobilise the Irish Diaspora across the world behind the demand for Irish unity.
For many people the dire economic situation is the number one issue today.
Predictions of half a million citizens on the dole by Christmas give some sense of the difficulties facing working people across this island.
I noted assertions by DUP ministers after the layoffs at Bombardier, FG Wilson and Visteon that there is little that a devolved administration can do in the face of a global crisis. I disagree.
We can always do more. We can be imaginative and innovative.
This is particularly the case today when the British Chancellor unveiled his budget.
And if we have not enough powers, as the DUP appears to suggest, then it makes economic sense as well as political sense, that we should take whatever powers we need to do the job we are elected to do.
Why should we be on the cusp of British Treasury concerns? Why not develop our own economic future across this island?
Sinn Féin is working to build an economy which serves the needs of Irish society and not the other way around.
While working to improve the quality of life in the here and now, we see a united Irish economy as the best option.
http://www.westtyronesinnfein.com/news/12669
Published: 21 April, 2009
Education Minister Caitríona Ruane has announced a major investment of some £2.1 million for the design of a Shared Educational Campus at the Lisanelly former military site in Omagh.
Speaking ahead of a meeting of the Lisanelly Shared Educational Campus Steering Group, to be held at Arvalee Special School in Omagh, the Minister said: "I am delighted to announce a significant investment by my Department, supported by SIB, to develop proposals for a shared educational campus at Lisanelly. The Lisanelly campus is a top priority for me and for my party and this is an important step on the way to realising the vision that Omagh people have for their children and their schools. The resources I have announced will enable the completion of exemplar design work along with the legal, technical and financial assessments necessary to fully work up the campus model."
The Minister continued: "The campus will provide an opportunity to modernise post-primary educational provision in Omagh, and will include first class educational facilities for up to 3,000 pupils. I recognise the need to engage with the schools, young people, parents and wider community as we develop the proposals. We need to strike the right balance between maintaining the individual ethos of each school while also supporting and encouraging effective partnership between all of the schools in the Omagh area. A key dimension of the design process will be an intensive community engagement and participation programme and, in taking this programme forward, we will build on the good work of Omagh Council, the Lisanelly Schools Working Group which is chaired by local church leaders, and local business leaders."
Speaking about the economic benefits, she added: "The campus is being developed to support and encourage excellent educational provision, but there is no doubt that it also provides an opportunity to promote regional balance and regeneration. We will ensure that any procurement of the campus follows best practice in promoting equality and sustainability in order to benefit local people and tackle deprivation."
Also welcoming the announcement MP for the area, Pat Doherty said "This is an excellent good news story for the Omagh District as it represents tangible progress on this unprecedented educational project.
"The creation of an educational campus will provide long term social and pedagogic benefits for the children of Omagh. It is an investment in the future and I congratulate the Minister for prioritising this project and taking a 'hands on' role in bringing it to fruition".
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0425/1224245378086.html
GEORGE JACKSON and DAN KEENAN
Sat, Apr 25, 2009
SINN FÉIN’S Martin McGuinness confirmed yesterday that he had received a threat against his life from a dissident republican group. The threat was passed on to Northern Ireland’s Deputy First Minister by PSNI officers.
Yesterday, Mr McGuinness, once a senior figure in the Provisional IRA, chose the symbolic location of Free Derry Wall in the Bogside to accuse those behind the threat of trying to turn the area into a ghetto and a slum.
Mr McGuinness, who earlier this month described dissident republicans as traitors, was accompanied by about 50 supporters during his Bogside press conference. It is understood the threat against him is linked to an incident in the Bogside earlier this week when a member of a dissident group was disarmed by associates after he had been heard making threats against Mr McGuinness.
“During my life I have been under threat from groups such as the British state agencies and loyalist murder gangs. It seems now this small unsupported group has joined those groups.
“Their threats will not deter me from doing my work as Deputy First Minister and as an MP. I have a job to do in terms of building the peace process and achieving the ultimate political objective of reunification. Their threats and activities will not succeed.”
Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams also strongly criticised dissidents this week, saying: “Militarism, elitism or adventurism is no substitute to strategy, for tactics, for common sense.” He said Sinn Féin had no intention of surrendering to “any of these elements”.
There have been attacks on Sinn Féin homes and property in Derry since Easter.
© 2009 The Irish Times
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0425/1224245374674.html
BARRY ROCHE, Southern Correspondent
Sat, Apr 25, 2009
A 60-YEAR-OLD financial adviser was yesterday sentenced to 10 years in jail for money laundering more than £3 million stolen in the Northern Bank robbery in Belfast in December 2004.
Ted Cunningham of Woodbine Lodge, Farran, Co Cork, had denied all 10 charges of money laundering but was convicted last month on all counts on majority verdicts after a 45-day trial at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.
Imposing sentence yesterday, Judge Con Murphy said it was a very serious offence involving a very large sum of money of more than £3 million and a variety of methods of disposal or laundering including many which involved innocent people.
“There is no doubt but that there was premeditation and planning involved in the offences and during the trial itself, he persisted right to the end with a concocted alibi that the Bulgarians were buying a pit in Shinrone ,” said Judge Murphy.
“It was a reasonably well constructed alibi and its genesis may have been before the Northern Bank raid took place,” said Judge Murphy, adding that Cunningham had also persisted with a claim that he was coerced by gardaí into making certain admissions.
Cunningham had claimed that an off-camera interview memo in which he admitted knowing the money was from the Northern Bank raid and that former Bank of Scotland (Ireland) chairman Phil Flynn was behind the money laundering had been made under duress.
“He persisted right to the end of his trial that these various admissions were as a result of illness, lack of sleep, threats or inducements.” Judge Murphy said both the jury and he, in a hearing without the jury, had found the admissions to have been made “freely and voluntarily”.
There were some mitigating factors in Cunningham’s favour including his age, poor health in that he suffers from a blood disorder, and the fact that he had no previous convictions and had previously been of blameless character.
But Judge Murphy said that taking all the circumstances into account, he was sentencing him to 10 years on each of the 10 counts the sentences to run concurrently. He backdated the sentence to March 27th last when Cunningham was taken into custody.
Earlier, Judge Murphy had imposed a three-year suspended sentence on Cunningham’s son, Timothy John Cunningham (33), from Church View, Farran, who had pleaded guilty three weeks into the trial to a single count of money laundering.
Judge Murphy said he accepted the evidence of case officers that Cunningham jnr’s role in the money laundering operation was “minor” involving simply handling, sorting and storing the huge haul of cash for his father.
“He was merely a pawn, facilitating his father by counting, sorting and making some deliveries – he was under the influence of his father at the time and that was why he had any involvement and he was in no way the originator of the crime,” said Judge Murphy.
Judge Murphy said that for Cunningham jnr it took “courage to plead guilty, which he did, in defiance of his father” and he noted that he had also facilitated the State in bringing the prosecution by returning voluntarily to Ireland from the US when he did not have to do so.
He also noted that Cunningham jnr had no previous convictions and he believed that his guilty plea was an indication of his remorse and he accepted the evidence of Supt Seán Healy that Cunningham jnr was unlikely to reoffend.
He also noted that he had a serious medical condition involving epileptic fits which he was able to control with medication and he said that, taking all these mitigating factors into account, he believed the appropriate penalty was a three-year suspended jail term.
Judge Murphy refused an application by the prosecution counsel, Tom O’Connell, for the State to be awarded the costs in the case, saying that the application for free legal aid had been properly made on Cunningham snr’s behalf and had been properly granted.
© 2009 The Irish Times
http://www.ardfheis.com/?p=1516
April 24, 2009 by sinnfein
Education Minister, Caitríona Ruane, today spoke of the need for inclusion of children with special needs into schools of their choice.
Speaking at the International Inclusion Conference at Fleming Fulton special school in Belfast, the Minister told delegates that the acceptance of difference is best generated at the earliest stage in childhood.
The Minister said: “Inclusion can be used to mean many things, not only the placement of pupils with Special Educational Needs in mainstream schools but also the participation of all pupils in the curriculum and social life. For most children, placement in a mainstream school and involvement in the wider community leads naturally on to other forms of inclusion.”
The Minister went onto say: “Inclusion in all its forms underlies many of my department’s strategies and we are actively working to ensure that all young people have the opportunity to become fully included in a positive educational experience.
“What we aspire to is an inclusive education system in which children spend as much time as possible in a mainstream setting. This does not presuppose the integration of all children into a mainstream setting. What we need to ensure is that special schools become part of a wider learning community. It is important that children with special educational needs or disabilities can be educated together with other children and they all have the access to the same range of educational opportunities.”
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0425/1224245370035.html
ANNE LUCEY
Sat, Apr 25, 2009
THE CLOSURE of the German- owned Amann Industries in Tralee, the second largest manufacturing plant in north Kerry, which was announced yesterday, has been described as “a catastrophic blow” for the region. The closure will see the loss of all 330 jobs and millions of euro in revenue, union officials and politicians said yesterday.
Siptu said manufacturing had virtually collapsed in the north Kerry region and it called for immediate intervention on electricity costs and special rates for industry to safeguard jobs.
Amann was the second biggest plant after Kerry Ingredients, it said. The Tralee plant produces high-quality technical sewing threads for the automotive, fashion and textile industries and the jobs are to go to China and Asia over the next year. Some 120 redundancies were announced in January in a restructuring programme aimed at saving the Tralee plant, with those jobs going to existing Amann facilities in Romania and Germany. However, the loss of the further 210 jobs came as a blow.
The jobs are to go in two main tranches over the next 12 months to China and Asia. The plant’s equipment is also to be removed to China, senior management who had arrived from Germany told workers at lunchtime yesterday.
High energy costs, labour and other manufacturing costs had led to “this regrettable decision,” the company said in a statement.
“The need to remain competitive in a very difficult, cost-sensitive market, combined with high labour, energy and other manufacturing costs have led to this regrettable decision,” it said.
Some 110 jobs will go in July when the spinning operation ceases and the remaining jobs in the filament twisting processes will be phased out over 12 months, also beginning in July. Fine Gael Kerry North TD Jimmy Deenihan likened the closure to the loss of Dell in Limerick and called for the midwest economic recovery group to be extended to north Kerry.
Sinn Féin TD Martin Ferris said the announcement was “catastrophic”.
Amann Tralee is a wholly- owned subsidiary of Amann Sohne GmbH, of Bonningheim, Germany. The Tralee operation opened in 1989 at the former Klopman textile plant in the Clash industrial estate in the town.
The maximum factory floor wage at the Tralee plant was €26,000 a year. The loss to the local economy will be over €11 million a year, according to Con Casey, organiser with Siptu.
Mr Casey called for immediate Government intervention on energy costs and said it should have ensured energy was provided at “a commercially appropriate rate” to safeguard jobs. Siptu said it would meet management on Wednesday to discuss redundancy arrangements.
© 2009 The Irish Times
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0425/1224245367392.html
JOHN FALLON
Sat, Apr 25, 2009
THE TWO Connemara men who lost their lives at sea this week were buried yesterday.
Members of Clifden Lifeboat formed a guard of honour as the two hearses left the church and travelled across the strand to Omey Island for burial.
Féichín Mulkerrin (49) and Tony Coohill (36), from Claddaghduff, Co Galway, were laid to rest on Omey Island, not far from where they drowned on Tuesday when their currach was overturned by a freak wave.
Hundreds of mourners attended their funeral Mass in Star of the Sea Church, Claddaghduff. The congregation spilled over into the car park and on to the road. Members of the fishing community from Galway, Donegal, Mayo, Kerry and Cork, along with mourners from offshore islands such as Aran and Inishbofin, also travelled to the tiny village on the edge of the Atlantic to pay their respects.
Fr Tony Neville said the community had been in shock since news emerged on Tuesday morning that the men had drowned. A deep cloud had descended on the community, extending to the fishing community throughout the country.
Prayers were said for the families of the two men and for all the fishing communities around the country who had lost people at sea. “Our hearts go out to the two families on their terrible loss.”
Fr Neville praised the community effort since the tragedy. “Everybody stopped what they were doing when the terrible news broke and since then there had been a tremendous Meitheal as the community came together to help.”
Both fishermen had lost brothers to the sea. The latest tragedy struck the families after the two men went out in their motorised currach to check on lobster pots.
An investigation has been launched by the Marine Casualty Investigation Board.
Mr Mulkerrin is survived by his wife Monica, six children and grandchildren. Mr Coohill is survived by his wife Marie and sons John and Ciarán.
© 2009 The Irish Times
http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0421/poverty.html
Tuesday, 21 April 2009 14:23
The happiest children in Europe are in the Netherlands and Scandinavia but Ireland ranks ninth in the survey of European states.
A league table of young people's wellbeing places the Netherlands top of 29 European states, followed by Sweden and Norway, while Malta ranks last.
The UK ranks only 24th in the survey.
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The table, focusing on youngsters aged up to 19, was compiled by researchers at York University in northern England for the Child Poverty Action Group using data mainly from 2006.
The researchers assessed the countries using 43 separate criteria, ranging from infant mortality and obesity to factors such as poverty and housing.
Germany was eighth, France was 15th and the UK was 24th ranked only above Romania, Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania and Malta.
The Netherlands scored high in all categories, while the Scandinavians were praised for having a low level of child deaths caused by accidents.
Scandinavian children also indulge in less 'risky behaviour, which the researchers categorised as early sexual intercourse, smoking and drinking, than their European counterparts.
Norway was top in the provision of housing and the 'quality of neighbourhoods'.
CPAG said the low ranking of the UK, despite its position among the world's leading economies, was 'particularly influenced by the high number of children living in families where no parent works'.
CPAG chief executive Kate Green said: 'The report shows a clear link between high levels of child wellbeing and low levels of child poverty.
'If we fail to protect families during the downturn, progress on child wellbeing could go into reverse', she said.
Overall ranking:
01. Netherlands
02. Sweden
03. Norway
04. Iceland
05. Finland
06. Denmark
07. Slovenia
08. Germany
09. Ireland
10. Luxembourg
11. Austria
12. Cyprus
13. Spain
14. Belgium
15. France
16. Czech Republic
17. Slovakia
18. Estonia
19. Italy
20. Poland
21. Portugal
22. Hungary
23. Greece
24. United Kingdom
25. Romania
26. Bulgaria
27. Latvia
28. Lithuania
29. Malta
Updated: 10/4/2009
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