THE BILL for the Patten redundancy scheme is close to £500million for ex-RUC officers who are suspected by many in the nationalist community of being "little more than a gravy train when it comes to claiming money from the public purse", Sinn Féin has said.

Spokesperson on Policing Alex Maskey said:

I think that the vast amount of money that has been paid in severance was... Free article

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL has repeated its call for the Spanish Government to end its repression of Basque prisoners and legitimate political activity and freedom of expression following the announcement by ETA of a permanent ceasefire.

In a statement also pressing ETA to ensure the end of threats and acts of violence, the Spanish Section of Amnesty called for the Spanish Government... Free article

AS the Dáil resumes after the Christmas break, Sinn Féin is calling on the Taoiseach to resign, dissolve the Dáil and call an immediate election.

Sinn Féin Dáil leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin TD and Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams also talk about 'Golfgate', the IMF loan and taxpayers – including media workers – picking up the tab for bankers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaNti4fev5Y

THE Green Party’s response  to the meeting between Taoiseach Brian Cowen and Seán FitzPatrick has been described by Sinn Féin Dáil leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin as “a pathetic response from a pathetic party”.

There seems to be nothing that Fianna Fáil can do that will prompt the Greens to leave Government.

Deputy Ó Caoláin said that when the Greens were on the Opposition... Free article

They can make peace – but they should heed the Irish lesson

Peace processes are challenging. Especially for governments. But they are better than war

By Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams

MANY in the Basque Country have taken a close interest in the peace process in Ireland. They hope to learn from the Irish experience in an effort to advance their own peace process.

In my... Free article

SINN FÉIN members lobbied the Green Party meeting at the Grand Hotel, Malahide, County Dublin, this morning to put pressure on the Greens to pull out of government without any further delay.

Sinn Féin Dublin City Councillors Dessie Ellis and Larry O'Toole asked to meet Green Party leaders to put their case personally but the Green Party declined to face their political... Free article

THERE will be a delay of another two months before Secretary of State Owen Paterson decides if there should be a public inquiry into the murder in 1989 of civil rights lawyer Pat Finucane and allegations of collusion between his unionist death squad assassins and British state forces.

Sinn Féin north Belfast MLA and Junior Minister Gerry Kelly said the delay is... Free article

PEARSE DOHERTY has described the Taoiseach’s statement that his golf round with Anglo Irish Bank boss Seán FitzPatrick just two months before the controversial bank guarantee in September 2008 did not discuss the banking situation as "beyond belief". The meeting was only revealed at the weekend.

The Taoiseach said he is "quite clear that no discussions regarding Anglo Irish... Free article

FINE GAEL AND LABOUR have been urged to back a Sinn Féin motion of no confidence in the Taoiseach, especially after revelations about a previously undisclosed meeting between Brian Cowen and disgraced former Anglo Irish Bank chair Seán Fitzpatrick in July 2008.

The Sinn Féin motion was tabled before the Dáil broke for Christmas.

Sinn Féin Dáil leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin also... Free article

GERRY ADAMS has welcomed today’s statement by ETA of “a permanent and general ceasefire which will be verifiable by the international community”. The Sinn Féin leader urged the Spanish Government “to grasp the opportunity for a lasting peace and a new beginning in the relationship between the Basque people and the Spanish state.”

Speaking in Dublin, Gerry Adams said there have... Free article