In Briefs

26-County Minister for Agriculture Mary Coughlan

GM potatoes

The 26-County Minister for Agriculture has been called on to prevent the granting of a licence to a German company to grow genetically modified potatoes in the 26 Counties. Sinn Féin TD Martin Ferris was responding to a report that BASF has applied to the Environmental Protection Agency to be allowed to grow a trial crop at Summerhill, County Meath. Ferris said Minister Mary Coughlan could not give her usual response that this was not her responsibility. "If GM crops are grown here, they will inevitably contaminate traditional and organic crops," he said.

Campbell questions council budget

Castlebar Town Council's budget for travel and conferences, which stands at €40,000, has been criticised by Sinn Féin Councillor Noel Campbell. Campbell proposed that €11,800 be cut and spent on essential maintenance in the town. His proposal was supported by Councillors Crowley and Mee, but voted down by a majority of councillors.

HSE Blunders

The revelation of a massive accounting blunder by the 26-County Health Services Executive (HSE), coming in the wake of the PPARs debacle, must focus the debate on government accountability in relation to the health service, Sinn Féin's Dáil spokesperson on health said this week. Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin called on the public to be wary of those with their own agendas who would seek to use these scandals as an argument for privatisation. "The government's attempts to evade responsibility by hiding behind the HSE must be rejected and an equitable health service demanded for all," he said.

Approach to autism slammed

Sinn Féin's MLA Micheal Ferguson has hit out at the attitude of both the British and Dublin Governments on the issue of an all-Ireland approach to Autism. Speaking before he attended the Long Gallery re-launch of Parents and Professionals Autism, he said that the Six-County MLAs would be meeting with their 26-County counterparts to discuss pushing legislation on this issue.

Elderly abuse highlighted

A campaign in the North to highlight abuse of the elderly has been endorsed by Sinn Féin. Newry/Armagh MLA Pat O'Rawe said "we would be judged as a society in how we treated our elderly" and that "this was not a problem confined to care homes but could be going on next door." She called on people to be vigilant for signs that may indicate abuse.

Fermanagh informer had "limited information"

The former Sinn Féin election worker who admitted on 19 January to being a paid Special Branch informer had "extremely limited" information, according to party MLA Tom O'Reilly. Seán Lavelle from Lisnaskea, Fermanagh, issued a statement through his solicitor saying he had worked for the British for 25 years. He claimed to have been pressured into the role after being arrested in 1980. However, O'Reilly revealed that Lavelle was never a member of Sinn Féin. His involvement was restricted to voluntary election work, and this ended ten years ago.

"The knowledge Seán Lavelle had on republicans in Fermanagh isn't worth talking about," said O'Reilly. "He worked voluntarily for Sinn Féin at election times, that was the extent of his involvement with the party."

O'Reilly said the people who would be hurt most by Lavelle's admission are his family and friends.

He added: "They are going to feel betrayed. Mr Lavelle has lied to the people he professes to love for the last 25 years.

"It's clear there's an element in Special Branch and the PSNI that remains a negative force with this political policing. It's preventing progress in the Peace Process."