North Belfast Béal Feirste Thuaidh Summer 2020 • Samhradh 2020 While staying apart North Belfast comes closer than ever

Never before has our community been the bulk of funding was secured In Welcoming the funding, Oldpark drawn closer together, all whilst staying by the newly appointed Sinn Féin Councillor Shauneen Baker said: two meters apart. Communities Minister, . MLA “I welcome the £1.5 million of funding The amount of work that has taken place that was released by Deirdre for by Sinn Féin elected representatives, councils that supported the most community activists, volunteers and vulnerable in our society during the civic society in recent months has been COVID-19 outbreak. nothing short of incredible. Over 3000 food parcels have been delivered to “This initial tranche of money went families and vulnerable people across towards the provision of food, essentials North Belfast throughout the pandemic as well as advice and support to those Cllr. Rosie Kinnear organising a delivery at by the community foodbank which has the foodbank within Naomh Éanna that are under financial pressure at this been based in the Duncairn. This is in time. addition to several community outlets that have been doing heroic work in “We also secured agreement in Belfast recent weeks. City Council for an extra £250,000 to contribute to the scheme, which The generosity and community followed another £120,000 that was empowerment that has been evident agreed in back in April. throughout North Belfast has shone a light of hope whilst we endure the “Within local communities, Sinn harsh reality of the Covid-19 global Féin representatives and community health emergency. activists will continue to work with the From right to left: Cllr. Ryan Murphy, John council to ensure that support reaches Alongside generous donations from Finucane MP and Cliftonville FC players, those that are most in need.” local individuals and businesses, getting ready to deliver food parcels from the Duncairn.

Sinn Féin: Éire chun cinn Putting Ireland First  www.sinnfein.ie Ceannasaíocht i mBéal Feirste 2 Sinn Féin delivering Nitrous Only by working together, we- Oixide can be can overcome - McGrann

deadly warns North Belfast Councillor Taylor I am appealing directly to young McGrann has called on young people to please be part of the Murphy people to act responsibly and to community COVID19 response join the community effort against and to follow the guidelines. Sinn Féin Councillor Ryan Murphy COVID19 following reports of has contacted the Department crowds gathering in public places. “You can enjoy the good weather of Health and the Public Health Agency and urged them to launch and meet up with as many as six a campaign on the dangers of Speaking the Macedon councillor friends outdoors while adhering inhaling nitrous oxide. said: to social distancing guidelines. However large crowds are not The Oldpark Councillor said: “In recent weeks Sinn Féin has permitted for the benefit of your been dealing with reports of large health and our community. “In recent weeks our crowds of young people gathering representatives have been contacted in public places, with many of “I am finally appealing to parents by concerned community activists those drinking alcohol. and guardians to please keep and parents regarding the increased in contact with your children to number of young people inhaling nitrous oxide. “I am appealing directly to know their whereabouts to assist those young people involved in tackling this once in a lifetime “The inhaling of gas can pose very to act responsibly. Your actions pandemic. serious health risks. I am aware of can potentially have serious at least one death of a Dublin youth ramifications for your personal “Only by working together will connected to the misuse of nitrous health, that of your family and also we overcome this.” oxide. our community. Follow Taylor “I have contacted the Department “By gathering in large crowds of Health and the Public Health the spread of this virus will be Agency to seek clarification on what dangers come with inhaling accelerated. Increased infection nitrous oxide. I have also requested will place our health workers @TaylorMcGrannsf that the Department of Health and under extreme pressure and will Public Health Agency undertake kill people in our community - that  Taylor McGrann a campaign to communicate these is both the brutal and sad reality. dangers with the public. “Alarmingly, my colleague Cllr “The health and well-being of our Ryan Murphy recently handed young people is an absolute priority in lethal cans of Nitrate Oxide for myself and Sinn Féin. to the PSNI after finding them “I am committed to doing all that in Marrowbone Park. We are I can to protect and educate young aware that some young people are people on the dangers of solvent inhaling this potentially deadly abuse.” chemical. I urge them to stop immediately.

“Each and every single one of us, both young and old, has an obligation in the time ahead to act responsibly to protect our vulnerable relatives and members of the community.

Ryan pictured with an empty box of Ni- “As we approach this weekend, trous Oixide canisters, which was found in the Waterworks in North Belfast Ceannasaíocht i mBéal Feirste 3 Sinn Féin delivering

Not to be missed: Author, political prisoner and former Sinn Féin publicity director sits down with solictor, human rights advocate, goalkeeper and MP

On December 12th 2019, the eyes of Ireland, Britain and beyond zoned in on North Belfast. It was the contest of the ages and widly regarded as the showdown battle Sinn Féin Joe Bloggs of a tense Westminister election. It 44 Parnell Square was Leave vs Remain. Fear vs Hope. Dodds vs Finucane. In the early hours of Friday 13th December, John MP, goalkeeper and Mayor Finucane was declared as the MP for North Belfast after 23,078 people chose hope over fear. Six months later, the real work is in full throttle.

Tune in from 7pm on Tuesday 16th June, live from The Duncairn Arts Centre as Danny Morrison sits down John with Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle with John Finucane and disscusses O’Neill moments after being declared North everything that has happened from Belfast MP that historic night.

Sinn Féin: Éire chun cinn Putting Ireland First  www.sinnfein.ie Ceannasaíocht i mBéal Feirste 4 Sinn Féin delivering End the Veto, Step UP and Build Homes Now - Ní Chuilín

Now more than ever, we are alarming in North Belfast, a We want to see a rights based witnessing levels of homelessness pattern repeated across the North approach to housing as well as and overcrowding that should which has been recognised by a needs based approach to the have been consigned to the past. the Equality Commission and the allocation of homes. It is shocking United Nations. that there is still a housing 3000 people across North Belfast veto held by unionists in the are on the housing waiting list and We need a new approach and development of sites and this those in housing stress continues this is something that Sinn Féin needs to end immediately. to rise. Three generations living has been and will be demanding under the one roof has become a from the NIHE. I have called previously for an modern norm for those in social equality expert to oversee social housing and enough is enough. housing across the North and The Housing Executive need to that new builds are in areas that step up and fulfil their statutory require them, as it is vital that obligation to invest in sustainable areas of greatest need are targeted social housing projects. in order to address years of underinvestment. The underlying problem that has directly resulted in this stark The Housing Executive need reality is decades of poor and to have a vision and they need to inadequate policy making by the be ambitious. They need to build Housing Executive, alongside a homes. unionist veto in the development of social housing sites. But it won’t come about by Carál addressing a housing conference in the Duncairn Arts Centre last year. wishing for it. We need to demand The inequality that exists in it, campaign for it and mobilise the allocation of homes is also for it.

Sinn Féin: Éire chun cinn Putting Ireland First  www.sinnfein.ie Ceannasaíocht i mBéal Feirste 5 Sinn Féin delivering Westminister victims legislation is both discriminatory and unacceptable - Kelly Our North Belfast MLA and Sinn Féin policing spokesperson , has said the party remains committed to the provision of a victims’ payment based on need and the full imple- mentation of the Stormont House Agreement in a human rights compliant manner.

The North Belfast MLA said: . “The recent Westminster Regulations will potentially exclude hundreds of victims from the Nationalist and Republican community from accessing the payment scheme.

“This is both discriminatory and unacceptable.

“By introducing a hierarchy of victimhood, the British government is undermining attempts to heal the wounds of the past and promote a genuine reconciliation process.

“The British government must honour the commitments it made, whilst also fullfilng their obligation to fund the scheme in full.

“Sinn Féin remains committed to the provision of a victims’ payment based on need and the full implementation of the Stormont House Agreement in a human rights compliant manner

Gerry pictured with the Time for Truth activists, standing behind the Bally- murphy Massacre familes, at a protest at Stormont

Sinn Féin: Éire chun cinn Putting Ireland First  www.sinnfein.ie Ceannasaíocht i mBéal Feirste 6 Sinn Féin delivering Economic Vision and Investment needed in North Belfast says Maskey Speaking to Nuacht Castle Councillor, Central to this must be real investment that Conor Maskey, lays out his vision for changes people’s lives in the most noticeable of economic investment in North Belfast. ways. I want to see an investment in our zoo. A JJ pictured at the juction of Carrickhill first class site that will enhance the experience Investment in the entire zoo site must be part and Frederick St of visitors and Belfast ratepayers and that also of this. Accompanying this should be a look protects the welfare of its animals. I want to see at the Belfast castle, floral hall and our most a structured process that valuable natural asset – the Belfast hills. JJ Magee leading will do just that. In order to ensure connectivity we need the the way in Currently Belfast ratepayers subsidize the glider project to be forwarded in a way that zoo by around £2.5m per year, making it enhances the entire footfall of businesses and Carrickhill unsustainable in a financial sense. I believe has the easiest, most environmentally friendly council should aim to achieve a more financially movement in and out of the city centre. Cycling sustainable model for the entire zoo site, which infrastructure must be enhanced in a real and Cllr. JJ Magee, along with party mean that additional resources are required for coherent way in North Belfast. colleague John Finucane MP, much-needed regeneration projects in keeping has written to the Department with the city’s modern-day needs. Overarching all of this can and must be a for Infrastructure, in relation to ‘coming-together’ of all the main drivers in I believe that with the proper political will, North Belfast to create a single North Belfast the land between the junction we can transform the zoo site into an attractive identity that attracts the tourism and economic of Carrickhill and Frederick world-class visitor attraction by 2025. activity we so badly need. Street.

Our decades long experience of the Zoo We’ve started the process for the entire In recent weeks residents and poses a number of questions for me. Why has Bellevue zoo site. Let us now begin the bigger, nobody gripped the opportunity of the entire ambitious plan that takes us confidently into city centre commuters have site which is an important keystone regional the 2020’s and beyond. been in contact with the Old- tourist attraction? Why is it losing so much park Councillor, with concerns money per year? Where is the business/ Follow Conor relating to the amount of food hospitality infrastructure to support large waste and litter that is being left numbers of visitors who enter North Belfast? @ConorMaskey on the green space.

From our perspective, there has been a  Conor Maskey distinct lack of vision and ambition when it JJ has been in contact with both comes to realising the entire economic potential Belfast City Council and the of north Belfast. The Bellevue site is only Department for Infrastructure, symptomatic of this broader lack of ambition. asking for action to be taken to It should be acknowledged that political give the area, a corridor to our deadlock in our part of the city has compounded city centre, a fresh face. We’ll that problem. However, we’ve moved to a be keeping residents up to date much more progressive political plain in recent with our progess. months and years.

The challenge now is how to bring together the various forces within the political, economic and leisure sectors to develop and make a reality of a real vision for North Belfast which creates a Conor pictured (Right) helping with deliveries new economic opportunity in the Community Foodbank

Sinn Féin: Éire chun cinn Putting Ireland First  www.sinnfein.ie Ceannasaíocht i mBéal Feirste 7 Sinn Féin delivering

Response from the insurance industry Our Council staff has been shameful - Finucane need supported - Goodman We began March 2020 watching the been shameful. British government react with dangerous Not one premium has been honoured, Antrim and Newtownabbey lethargy to a deadly, unseen virus. As and not one payout made under busi- Councillor Michael Goodman it moved across the world from east to ness interruption or any other relevant has called on the council to en- west, many individuals here in Ireland clause. To compound matters, these sure maximum income and job had to make their own decisions, not businesses must still pay their expensive security for workers. only to keep themselves safe, but also premiums despite the fact that they have their family, friends and communities. not been able to trade for over three Cllr Goodman said: months. “As documented in recent weeks, Business was no different. the Chief Executive in Antrim Representing a sign of the seriousness Certainly in my lifetime, I can’t remem- of the situation, the FCA has taken eight and Newtownabbey Council had ber our national day of celebration, St named insurers to court, seeking legal proposed terminating the con- Patrick’s Day, effectively being cancelled. clarity as to their liability to pay out. This tracts of short term and casual Pubs, clubs, restaurants and any business will have a huge impact on Irish busi- council workers. The termina- which would naturally attract large gath- nesses as they seek to plan for the future tion of contracts during a global erings all took the responsible decision and ensure they can safeguard the jobs health pandemic was entirely to close their doors. They realised that and livelihoods of tens of thousands of unacceptable to Sinn Féin. to do otherwise would increase the risk workers. We have since worked proactively of spreading a disease which had already within council to provide max- claimed the lives of tens of thousands Insurance companies effectively squeeze imum support to workers and across the world. businesses from both ends. They de- their families. Antrim and New- mand premium payments continue, but This was before the British government refuse to pay out. townabbey Borough Council has belatedly ordered a lockdown. This now agreed to furlough the 322 was before furloughing, grants or loans Businesses do not ask for charity, nor members of staff. The staff will were even announced. This stance by discretion. Like us all they have wit- receive 80% of their salary. our business community, not just in nessed financial institutions and minis- Sinn Féin had proposed at the hospitality, but childcare, retail, health ters react to protect jobs and livelihoods, recent Antrim and Newtown- and beauty and so many others, showed from mortgage holidays to rates freezes abbey Council meeting that the responsible leadership to a truly unprec- right down to ensuring our most vulner- Council ensures workers receive edented crisis. able have food in their cupboards. their full wage by paying 20% of the salary, however unfortunately At this time, they turned to their insur- Sinn Féin have engaged consistently with this proposal was rejected. ance policies for the cover they had paid sole traders, as well as small to medium for. Businesses believed their closure through to larger businesses to ensure I want to thank the Minister for would be covered under ‘Business Inter- they are protected, and we will continue Communities Deirdre Hargey for ruption’. After all, who could argue that to fight on their behalf bringing forward the furloughed their business hadn’t been interrupted. to minimise the risk to scheme for council workers Further, many businesses had purchased jobs and livelihoods which has undoubtedly saved pandemic and infectious diseases cover. due to the these jobs. Again, who could argue that the deadly greed of large As a party, we will continue to COVID-19 did not fall under this. multi-national explore all options to protect insurance these workers, their families and Unfortunately the response of the in- companies. the provision of services within surance industry to businesses here has council.”

Sinn Féin: Éire chun cinn Putting Ireland First  www.sinnfein.ie