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, Deirdre Hargey. 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 John Finucane 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 Gerry Kelly, 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.