Part 2 > IRISH NEWS ROUND-UP > http://irlnet.com/rmlist/ > > Saturday/Sunday, 24/25 June, 2000 > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > >>>>>> Government rejects call for more social housing > > > Sinn Fein TD Caoimhghin O Caolain has described as "beyond > understanding" the refusal of the government last week to adopt > his amendment to the Planning and Development Bill which would > make the provision of social housing a key priority in local > authority development plans. > > O Caolain tabled the amendment to include in the objectives of > development plans "the provision by the planning authority of > social housing to accommodate, as far as possible, all in need, > including, in particular, those on low income and the elderly". > > Minister for Environment and Local Government Noel Dempsey > refused to accept the amendment. Deputy O Caolain called for a > vote and the Dail divided on the Sinn Fein amendment. This was > the first occasion on which a full vote of the Dail took place on > a motion by the sole Sinn Fein TD. The amendment was supported by > Fine Gael, Labour, the Green Party, and the Socialist Party and > was opposed by Fianna Fail and the PDs. It was lost by 73 votes > to 62. > > The government voted down key amendments of Deputy O Caolain and > other TDs which would have removed a controversial fee from the > Bill. All groups and individuals who make a submission to a local > authority on a planning application will have to pay a fee, > initially #20 but with the power in the hands of the Minister for > the Environment and Local Government to increase it. > > O Caolain also sought by amendment to remove the provision in the > Bill whereby people will be unable to seek judicial review of a > planning decision unless they have a "substantial interest" in > the matter. This clause, and the one whereby people are barred > from appealing to An Bord Pleanala unless they have earlier made > submissions to the local authority, were described as > "restricting the rights of citizens to participate in the > planning process" by O Caolain. > > The Cavan/Monaghan TD described as "too little, too late" the > measures on housing eventually announced by the government last > week. > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > >>>>>> Clinton ignored advice to forget Ireland > > > Many foreign policy experts and members of the elite in the US > thought President Clinton had "taken leave of his senses" in > getting involved in Ireland, the US president revealed last week. > > Clinton explained to the Irish American Democrats group just how > much grief he got from the foreign policy establishment for > getting involved in Ireland from the beginning of his presidency. > > His comments, reported by Niall O'Dowd in this week's Ireland on > Sunday newspaper, throw new light on the American role in the > peace process. > > "None of the elitists really thought I ought to do it," said > Clinton. > > "But all of us blue-collar rednecks thought it was a pretty good > idea," he said to loud applause. > > "But I want you to know that it was tough and that there was a > huge part of the permanent government that thought I had taken > leave of my senses." > > He praised his wife, Hillary, and vice-president Al Gore for > standing with him on the Irish issue. > > "Al Gore stood with me on that and I'm especially proud of the > work my wife did in Northern Ireland with the 'vital voices' > conferences," he said. > > Clinton's comments about the foreign-policy elite were sparked by > Irish American Democrats chairwoman Stella O'Leary who had > mentioned belittling comments by former Republican Secretary of > State James Baker in her introduction. > > At the 1996 Republican convention, Baker had described Clinton's > visits to Ireland as "gullible's travels" and stated that, in a > Republican administration, Gerry Adams would never get near the > White House. > > Another example of how important the Irish peace process has > become to Clinton was clear from other remarks he gave at the > Irish American event. He told the audience how he used Ireland as > an example to the warring factions in Kosovo of how peace could > be achieved in their land. > > "I felt that if we could make it work, this old, old conflict > with its legendary, sometimes romantic, often horrible > ramifications, that the United States could then go to other > places in the world and make the same argument - that if the > Irish could do it, you could do it." > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > >>>>>> Sinn Fein challenge for Mayor of Dublin > > Sinn Fein todaylaunched its campaign to have Councillor Nicky > Kehoe elected as Mayor of Dublin on July 3rd with the > distribution of a full-colour manifesto and an appeal from Gerry > Adams to 30,000 homes in the capital. > > Announcing his candidature, Councillor Kehoe pointed out that > Sinn Fein holds the post of Mayor in Derry City and will next > month hold it in Sligo. He said: > > "As a Sinn Fein Mayor, I would be the dynamic for change. Sinn > Fein would give the Establishment parties a good shaking, clear > out the cobwebs and corruption, and deliver on essential services > for the city. > > "It is important that Sinn Fein sets out a radical republican and > labour agenda for the term of the next Mayor because Ruairi > Quinn's Labour Party has handed the job of Mayor to Fianna Fail > as part of a pact. Dublin deserves a new deal." > > The Sinn Fein councillor says that Dublin's growth as a > multicultural city presents a challenge "to embrace our growing > diversity as a source of strength and opportunity". Sinn Fein > supports the right of refugees and asylum seekers to work and > access education. > > Councillor Kehoe is a member of Dublin Corporation's Economic > Development, Planning and European Affairs Committee. His > four-page manifesto is titled 'A New Deal for Dublin' and > proposes a number of measures to tackle problems affecting the > capital. > > Traffic - To reduce the traffic gridlock, Councillor Kehoe said > that he wants one overall body to implement a cohesive traffic > strategy for Dublin; to modernise and integrate public transport; > introduce a one-ticket system for all public transport; stop > private cars from using O'Connell Street during the working day; > limit goods deliveries in built-up areas to night-time; use > resources such as the Loop Rail Line; start work on LUAS. > > Housing - Funding for a major new social housing programme; > control of land prices and effective penalties for property > speculators; Compulsory Purchase Orders to secure land where > necessary; rent control and strict application of standards in > the private-rented sector; increased emergency accommodation for > the homeless; high-density housing for people who would use it; > development of Dublin's waterways for recreation and tourism; > preservation and promotion of environmental resources. > > Drugs - Local drugs task forces to be set up across Dublin; > monthly community forums between residents and tenants, community > groups, statutory bodies and the Gardai; emergency drugs > addiction units for every hospital; the drugs crisis to be > treated as a priority. > > Childcare - Increased, affordable childcare; community-based play > centres; youth centres with inclusive management structures > involving teenagers and young adults. > > Environment - A comprehensive waste management strategy including > kerbside recycling collections; opposition to service charges and > incinerators; ban on GM foods. > > Local Government - "opennness, transparency and accountability at > all levels"; public access to local area meetings of Dublin > Corporation; a register of lobbyists; "a community-based, > bottom-up approach" to planning from its inception involving the > public and special interest groups as well as councillors and > officials; direct election by the people of Dublin "for the job > of Mayor". > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > >>>>>> New research slams mobile phones > > > Mobile phones are a serious health hazard and users are exposed > to a higher microwave exposure than is allowed worldwide for > military personnel. This was the message brought to Dublin this > week by Dr Neil Cherry from New Zealand. > > Cherry, a renowned physicist, was speaking last Monday in Dublin > at the request of Communities Against Microwave Radiation (CAMR). > He is due to make a presentation on the issue to the European > Parliament next week. > > Collette O'Connell of CAMR said at the meeting that the > "injurious effects of low level microwaves are known to a > sufficient number of people - the government has been > forewarned". > > Cherry maintains that levels of melatonin, a hormone that > prepares us for sleep and purifies our biological system, are > reduced as a result of mobile phone usage. This, he says, leads > to a great number of different bodily malfunctions and diseases, > including cancer, reproductive problems and heart trouble. > > While a Motorola-sponsored report on the effects of cellular > phones on human beings contradicts the findings of Cherry and > others, the physicist claims foul play by the company. The > decision by the Clinton administration in the USA to allow > Motorola compile their own statistics also allowed them to > manipulate and falsify information, he claims. The company have > already tried to suppress one damning study which they had > themselves funded and are intent on keeping the truth from the > public, he claims. > > While Cherry says that his own findings revealed that hands free > kits reduce the microwave output to the brain from mobiles to 3%, > this does not prevent harm to other parts of the body. Only one > device he has seen, an anti-microwave covering which encases the > whole phone is, he believes, effective. > > Cherry is calling on legislators to make obligatory the labeling > of mobile phones to show their microwave exposures. The lobby to > reveal the realities of mobile phone usage, he believes, is now > more than a scientific struggle, but is a political one also. > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > >>>>>> Gaughan Remembered > > > A large number of people from Counties Mayo, Galway, Sligo and > further afield came to the Deanwood Hotel in Ballina on Friday 9 > June to hear Gerry Kerry, senior Sinn Fein negotiatior and > Assembly member for North Belfast, deliver the annual Volunteer > Michael Gaughan Memorial Lecture. > > The lecture was organised by the Gaughan/Stagg Sinn Fein cumann > in Ballina and is held on a yearly basis in memory of Gaughan, > the young man from Healy Terrace who died in Parkhurst Prison, > England in June 1974 after being brutally force-fed whilst on > hunger strike. He was 24 years old. > > Gerry Kelly was himself a political prisoner in England during > the same period as Michael Gaughan and the two men were on hunger > strike at the same time, albeit in different prisons. > > Kelly spoke of the brutality of force-feeding, a practice that > had been outlawed in Ireland in 1917 after the death of Terence > MacSweeney. > > "People like Michael Gaughan and Frank Stagg were ordinary people > who found themselves in extra-ordinary circumstances and their > courage and determination should be an inspiration to everyone > during the present phase of the struggle for Irish freedom," said > Kelly. > > After the main lecture there was a lively question and answer > session. > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > >>>>>> Analysis: Orange Order challenged > > > BY JOHN O'LEARY > > > The proposal (since rescinded) of the Dublin and Wicklow lodges > of the Orange Order to march in Dublin at the end of May has been > a public relations disaster for the Orangemen. This initiative > was supposed to force a wedge into the South, which would allow > the Orangemen to link up with two-nationists and revisionists, > and thereby open up a new propaganda front against beleaguered > nationalist communities. > > In an Irish Times profile on 25 March, Dublin Orange Order > spokesperson Ian Cox swore allegiance to Queen Elizabeth, said he > was prepared to date a Catholic, but not marry one, and was "fed > up with the Church of Ireland". Brian Kennaway, the former > convenor of the Order's Education Committee (he resigned from the > Order with eight others this week), wrote with his tongue firmly > in his cheek that allowing the parade showed "respect for > minorities" (3 April). The Orangemen couldn't have hoped for a > better start. The march proposal had won gushing support from > Labour's Dublin Lord Mayor Mary Freehill (who doesn't know any > better) and Senator Mary Henry (who should). > > Then the script started to go awry. > > Sinn Fein's Dublin Corporation team put forward a unanimously > supported motion calling on the Orangemen to talk directly to the > Garvaghy and Ormeau Road residents, while recognising the > Orangemen's democratic right to march. Councillors from all sides > rounded on Mary Freehill for giving civic support in the name of > all Dubliners to an avowedly sectarian organisation. > > In a further direct snub, the Church of Ireland refused the use > of its parish church on Dawson Street to the Orangemen. Ian Cox > had asserted that the C of I was "timid" and had "really let > Protestants down". The Protestant answer was to repudiate this > sectarian vision of the Protestant identity. > > There was little political space in the South for Orange > sectarianism to operate without challenge. The Orangemen called > off the march, bemoaning the withdrawal of political support from > elements of the establishment. This episode shows that Orangeism > cannot stand on its own two feet. Support within the structures > of the state and the political establishment allows it to thrive > in the North. > > However, if the march was over, the debate was not. > > The Orange proposal opened up a spate of letters on the nature of > the Orange Order in newspapers, North and South. Senator Mary > Henry had said that pluralism meant "welcoming" the Orangemen . > Writing according to an out-of-date script, Robin Bury of the > 'Reform Movement' (a Dublin Orange front organisation) criticised > SF for attacking the "right" of the Orangemen to march in Dublin > (Irish Times 11 April). Dublin Sinn Fein councillor Nicky Kehoe > nailed this political lie and reiterated the Sinn Fein motion. He > put the view that "the Orangemen are welcome to march, that does > not mean they are welcome" (14 April). Kehoe wrote that the > Orangemen try to monopolise the expression of 'Protestant > culture' in the same way that white racists try to monopolise the > expression of so-called 'white culture'. > > A contributor to the Irish News (7 April) said: "The Ku Klux Klan > said the same thing, then allowed Catholics to join and > proclaimed intolerance essential to 'white culture'. Listening to > an Orangeman on the need for tolerance might lead us to ask, what > next? Perhaps a Nazi telling Jews to 'live-and-let-live' or the > Ku Klux Klan instructing blacks on the value of inclusivity." > > In An Irishman's Diary (10 April), Pat McGoldrick wrote that in > his native Glasgow, most Protestants "despised the Orangemen with > a passion, believing they brought shame and disgrace on > Protestantism". Because Orangeism in Scotland never had a > political base of any significance, they were not feared - unlike > in the North, where the RUC and B Specials made sure nationalists > kept their heads down. > > Protestants in the North of Ireland who might otherwise criticise > Orangeism are genuinely in fear of their safety. Such Protestants > are regarded with the same venom meted out to anti-racist whites > by bigots in the US deep South in the early 1960s. > > In a letter to the Irish News (17 April), Councillor Kehoe > detailed the inherently sectarian Constitution of the Grand Lodge > of Ireland. It proclaims conditional support for the British > monarchy, which is always accompanied by the phrase in capitals > "BEING PROTESTANT". A member of the order must be a Protestant, > but that is not sufficient. He must be born of Protestant parents > "in wedlock" and (if married) have a Protestant wife. > > Anyone "dishonouring the Institution by marrying a Roman Catholic > shall be expelled". A member must "prevent and discountenance" > intermarriage between Protestants and Catholics and stop > Catholics from playing games or dancing on a Sunday. A member > must "Strenuously oppose the fatal errors and doctrines of the > Church of Rome and scrupulously avoid countenancing (by his > presence or otherwise) any act or ceremony of Popish worship". > > This hysteria about all things "Papist" led a leading Orangeman > to be expelled for sitting beside a Catholic priest at a social > function some years ago. A Grand Master, George Patton, said that > Tony Blair "betrayed his religion" by marrying a Catholic. Dennis > Rogan, Chairperson, and First Minister David Trimble of the > Unionist Party are under threat of expulsion from the Order for > attending funeral masses of two young victims of the Omagh bomb. > > Tyrone Grand Lodge's Brother Wilfred Breen, replied (8 June) to > Cllr Kehoe in the Irish News. He tried to take the sting out of > some of these nakedly sectarian rules. Orangemen, he wrote, have > attended Catholic funerals "out of respect for the deceased" and > "to my knowledge, Grand Lodge never expelled them". In other > words, a dead Catholic can have his last rites duly noted by an > Orangeman of his acquaintancem - it is the live Papists who cause > the Orangemen problems. Messrs Rogan and Trimble may continue to > live under the mere threat, if not the actuality, of expulsion > from the Order. > > Brother Breen repeated the classically sectarian Orange view, > that any criticism of Orangeism as "intolerance of the Protestant > faith in general". In other words, to be a true Protestant is to > be a pro-British Orangeman. > > The attempt to foist a mirror-image view within nationalism, that > Catholic equals Irishman, has been fought by republicans since > the time of Thomas Davis and the Young Irelanders. As Kehoe > pointed out, most of the founding figures within the republican > tradition were Protestants: "It is because of the non-sectarian, > democratic contribution of such leaders and thinkers that there > is almost total unconcern within the nationalist population about > the religious affiliation of nationalist and republican political > leaders. Nationalist voters have never had a problem electing > Protestant leaders. Unionists, however, have a big problem with > the religion of their leaders, a problem compounded by the > activities of the Orange Order and its affiliation to the > Unionist Party." > > The Orange Order has 30% of the votes at the Unionist Party's > governing Ulster Unionist Council. > > In effect, a Catholic priest can never deliver the prayers, which > lead off Unionist Council meetings, since such "Popish worship" > would cause most of the hall to vacate the premises. Sectarian > anti-Catholicism is at the heart of historical and contemporary > Unionist politics. > > The Orange monolith, though shaken, is far from broken. > Protestants need courage to come out and criticise the historical > distortion of their identity promoted by Orangeism. > > Protestants are fully integrated into the political and social > life of the 26 Counties to the extent that religion plays no part > in the daily political life of politics. There are issues > relating to Church control of education and health, but the > challenge to this control comes from secular, not religious > forces. > > The 26-County Catholic sectarianism (initially promoted by Cumann > na nGaedhal after Partition as an alternative to the then > defeated republicanism of Tone, Davis, Connolly and Pearse) was > steadily eroded by the social and political movements which arose > from within republican, socialist and feminist politics in the > 1960s. The second-class status of women, the poverty and > unemployment and the discrimination and injustices facing > nationalists in the North have all been challenged over the past > 40 years. The social power of the Catholic Church has been > successfully challenged from within nationalism. No such > challenge has occurred or is possible within the > politically-based religious sectarianism that dominates Irish > Unionism. > > The biggest obstacle to the resolution of the backwardness of > Irish society lies in the sectarianism promoted by the Orange > Order and most sections of unionism, backed by the British > government. Residents of the Garvaghy and Ormeau Roads are at the > forefront of the fight for basic human dignity on this island. > All democrats, especially all democrats from a Protestant > background, should support them. If that happens, we might begin > to break the sectarian stranglehold on politics on this island. > c. RM Distribution and others. Articles may be reprinted with credit. > > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= > RM Distribution > Irish Republican News and Information > http://irlnet.com/rmlist/ > > PO Box 160, Galway, Ireland Phone/Fax: (353)1-6335113 > PO Box 8630, Austin TX 78713, USA mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= > > > RMD1000626042546p3 >
