Republican News · Thursday 23 January 2003

In Brief

Kelly leads delegation to Forum for Peace and Reconciliation

Sinn Féin Assembly member and spokesperson on policing, Gerry Kelly, led the party's delegation to the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation on Wednesday 22 January in Dublin Castle. He was joined by Seán Crowe TD, Mary Lou McDonald, Daithi Doolan and Short Strand Councillor Joe O'Donnell.

The theme of the meeting was Inter-Group relations in the Six Counties and it gave the participants the opportunity to hear first hand the concerns and experiences of people living in interface areas.

Speaking in advance of the meeting, Kelly said: "Sinn Féin has always promoted and encouraged inter-community dialogue as a necessary step to resolving our differences and we believe that this meeting of the Forum will facilitate that process further. It is however regrettable that it is now taking place against the backdrop of the suspended institutions and the recent PUP descision to end its contact with my party. Sinn Féin remains committed to reaching out and engaging in dialogue with the unionist community. We need the leadership of Unionism to do the same."

Sinn Féin delegation meets Enda Kenny in Belfast

On Tuesday, Sinn Féin Vice President Pat Doherty MP led a party delegation to meet Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny in Stormont.

Also on the delegation were Seán Crowe TD, Belfast Mayor Alex Maskey, Dara O'Hagan, Joe O'Donnell and Cathy Staunton.

Progress needed on All-Ireland Bodies

A Sinn Fein delegation of party Vice President Pat Doherty MP, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin TD, and Assembly Group leader Conor Murphy met British Secretary of State Paul Murphy on Tuesday at Castle Buildings to discuss the operation of the All Ireland Implementation Bodies.

"We need clarification that the work of the North South Ministerial Council is taken forward and developed, we need to see the work in the designated areas of co-operation such as agriculture and transport progress and that the operation of the All Ireland Implementation Bodies will not be frustrated in any way," said Murphy. " Sinn Féin also wants to see what work has been done on the establishment of both the All Ireland parliamentary Forum and the All Ireland Civic Forum."

Adams meets Minister Ó Cuiv to discuss cutbacks in Irish-language projects

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams MP and party General Secretary Lucilita Bhreatnach met the Minister for the Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and The Islands, Éamonn Ó Cuiv, in Leinster House on Tuesday.

Among the items on the agenda were:

The impact of government cutbacks on the development of the Irish language, the work of the All-Ireland Language Body, TG4 and An Ghaeltacht.

The need for cooperation between Irish and British authorities to ensure widespread availability of TG4 in the Six Counties.

The inclusion of areas such as Tallaght, County Dublin, and Belfast in the ongoing review on the status of Gaeltacht areas.

Trimble urged to back Assembly elections date

Sinn Féin Ard Chomhairle member, Cllr Joe Reilly, issued a call at a conference in Barcelona attended by David Trimble on Monday for the Ulster Unionist Party leader to publicly support the Assembly elections going ahead on 1 May as planned.

The one-day conference was on the theme, 'The Peace Process in Northern Ireland: Dealing with violence through dialogue.' The conference was also attended by SDLP leader Mark Durkan.

Speaking at the party's Ard Chomhairle meeting on Saturday, Sinn Féin Chairperson Mitchel McLaughlin had called on the UUP to come clean on their strategy to stop the Assembly elections going ahead on 1 May.

He said that it was entirely unhelpful, at a time when all attention should be focused on ending the deadlock and re-instating the political institutions, that there were those working behind the scenes determined to undermine democracy and prevent elections taking place.