Léargas

On Tuesday evening RTE broadcast a Prime Time special – A Breach of Trust -on childcare and crèches. Using secretly recorded film of three crèches the programme showed disturbing images of young children, some between one and two years of age, being emotionally and physically abused by some staff. While it acknowledged that its under-cover researcher witnessed some very good examples of childcare the focus was on the ill-treatment that occurred. This included children being thrown about like a rag doll at nap time in one crèche; children being strapped for hours at a time into chairs with no stimulation available; staff shouting and cursing at children; lax supervision, poor or no training, and insufficient numbers of staff to cope with the children; and staff falsifying diaries of children’s activities. The programme revealed that 75% of all crèches in the state are breaching mandatory standards. The programme also revealed that there are no inspectors in local health offices

Last Monday saw the publication of a report in Dublin by the 3Ts (Turn the Tide of Suicide) charity ‘Suicide in Ireland 2003-08.’ It makes for grim reading. The charity was established in 2003 with the aim of changing public attitudes toward suicide, raising awareness, lobbying the Irish government on the issue, provide funding for research and for those groups working in the areas of suicide and self-harm, and to run a suicide helpline. It is hugely critical of the failure of the government to develop and fund strategies on mental health and specifically around suicide prevention and awareness and self-harming, despite the increase in the numbers of people dying from suicide. The report commissioned by the 3Ts charity looks at the issue of suicide within the southern state but many of its conclusions are equally applicable in the north. It found that the actual number of citizens dying by suicide each year is significantly greater than official figures. In 2011 government stati

Gerry Adams TD speaking to the media at Leinster House The arrest and charging by the British police of John Downey and the arrest and charging of Belfast man Michael Burns, is a matter of grave concern and a clear breach of commitments given by the British government at Weston Park and in subsequent negotiations. Following the Good Friday Agreement both the British and Irish governments accepted that the issue of those defined as OTRs was an anomaly and the two governments committed to resolve the issue. The OTRs are individuals who, if arrested and convicted, would be eligible for release under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement. A process was put in place to deal with outstanding cases. John Downey and Michael Burns were two of these. Between 150-200 individuals were classed as OTRs – On-the-Runs.   Some of these were individuals who had escaped from prison or jumped bail. Most were victims of British Army and RUC harassment. John Downey is a val

Happy New Ear families at Dáil today - May22nd 2013 The first meeting of the Oireachtas all-party group on Cochlear Implant met this afternoon (Wednesday). It was very well attended.   17 TDs and Seanadóirí took part or sent one of their staffers. A number of others indicated their support for the campaign but were unable to attend because of other Oireachtas commitments. The meeting was chaired by Louth TD Gerry Adams and addressed by two parents from the Happy New Ear campaign, Danielle Ryan and Amie O Connor. The families also met Minister Lynch today. Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams TD speaking after the meeting said: “I want to thank all of the TDs and Seanadóirí who attended today’s meeting and the families for briefing us on recent developments. The families are meeting Minister Lynch. Good progress has been made recently and a business proposal to provide bilateral cochlear implants will be presented to the Minister by Beaumont hospital in June

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams speaking this evening during the party’s PMB on the Good Friday Agreement warned that the British government is “seriously undermining the work of the Executive and of the political institutions”. Teachta Adams cautioned that the “Executive’s ability to demonstrate that peace can deliver real economic change is being damaged by the British government’s significant cuts” to social welfare, the block grant and the investment package announced at St. Andrew’s 7 years ago. The Sinn Féin leader described the Good Friday Agreement as “a defining moment in recent Irish history” which for the first time since partition “brought peace, stability and hope, and the opportunity for a better future for the people of this island”. Full text of his remarks: The Good Friday Agreement was a defining moment in recent Irish history.   Comhréiteach stairiúil a bhí ann - a compromise between conflicting political positions following decades of conflict

Last Sunday was the 32 nd anniversary of the death on hunger strike of Bobby Sands. The death of Bobby and his nine comrades, and of many others outside the prison radicalised a whole new generation. The 1981 hunger strike was a watershed in recent Irish history. Two other Irish republicans died on hunger strike in English prisons; Michael Gaughan in 1974 and Frank Stagg in 1976. Hunger strike has long been a weapon in the arsenal of political prisoners fighting for improved conditions or release from illegal detention. It was used by republican political prisoners almost 100 years ago before and during the Tan War and Civil War. In more recent time ANC prisoners in South Africa marked Bobby’s death in 1981 and used hunger strike during their struggle with the prison regime. Palestinian, Basque and Kurdish prisoners have similarly used the hunger strike weapon and now some 100 detainees are on hunger strike in Guantánamo Bay. Reports state that four have been hospitalised and 2

  Moore Street today   During Order of business today in the Dáil I raised with the Taoiseach the issue of the National Monument at Moore Street and called on the government to directly intervene to save the Moore Street National Monument by removing it from the ownership of Chartered Land. In his reply the Taoiseach said that Minister Deenihan will be bringing a memo to the government shortly dealing with this issue. I reminded the Taoiseach that in their Programme for Government Fine Gael and Labour committed to develop a cultural plan for future commemorative events such as the Centenary of the Easter Rising in 2016. This morning (Wednesday) government and opposition leaders, and relatives of the 1916 leaders, attended a commemorative event in Arbour Hill cemetery to remember the men and women who proclaimed a Republic in 1916. The last headquarters of that republic, the National Monument in Moore Street stands in a perilous state of decay and in urgent need

Today marks the anniversary of the death of my friend and comrade Bobby Sands on the sixty sixth day of hunger strike. I don’t remember the first time I met Bobby. I had been interned in Long Kesh and was sentenced for trying to escape and found myself in Cage 11, in another part of the camp which held sentenced political prisoners. Bobby was already one of those in the Cage. The cages were literally that - a large space surrounded by a high wire fence in which there were four Nissan huts, a study hut and a toilet shower hut. In the sentenced end of Long Kesh these each held around 80 prisoners. In Cage 11 one of the Nissan huts was also a Gaeltacht for those wanting to learn the Irish language and that’s were Bobby was. I remember him as a keen sportsman who played soccer or gaelic football whenever he got the chance. He had long hair, a good sense of humour and liked music. He was very good on the guitar. I remember sitting in the study hut writing while he would be practic

  Late on Monday night I travelled out to the RTE studios in Dublin to do a Prime Time interview on the issue of victims of republican actions.   The program makers say their interest was sparked by my remarks in the Dáil in January following the killing of Garda Adrian Donohoe.   On that occasion I apologised to the family of Garda Jerry McCabe who was killed by the IRA in June 1996. I also apologised to the families of other members of the State forces who were killed by republicans in the course of the conflict. I said: “I am very sorry for the pain and loss inflicted on these families. No words of mine can remove that hurt and dreadful deeds cannot be undone. However, I restate that the resolve of Sinn Féin and the majority of Irish people is to ensure there will never, ever be a recurrence of conflict.”   The war is over but the legacy of partition, of decades of discrimination, injustice and of conflict, means that there are many unresolved issues still facing