THE purchase by ESB of the North’s electricity supplier, NIE, could mean lower energy prices to consumers throughout Ireland, Sinn Féin’s Mitchel McLaughlin has said.

"The benefits to consumers of one energy provider are obvious. It will assist in all-Ireland harmonisation and should deliver efficiencies through elimination of duplication of resources resulting in lower energy... Free article

SINN FÉIN Councillor Seán Crowe has said unemployment in Tallaght is spiralling out of control as new figures show that only Limerick City, Cork City and Waterford have higher numbers of unemployed in the 26 Counties.

Councillor Crowe said all the talk of emerging from recession means nothing unless the real issue of unemployment is addressed.

“The Government must bring forward a... Free article

SINN FÉIN has said it won’t take lectures from the under-performing Health Minister Michael McGimpsey, who has accused critics of the state of the health service in the North of playing politics.

The health minister refused to attend yesterday’s North/South Ministerial Council where health and all-Ireland co-operation in the recession dominated the agenda.

MLA for mid-Ulster... Free article

FIANNA FÁIL TD Noel O’Flynn has accepted a challenge to debate the Government’s attitude to youth unemployment after five Ógra Shinn Féin activists staged a two-hour roof-top protest on his constituency office in Cork on Tuesday morning.

Gardaí were called to the premises on Old Mallow Road but no arrests were made and the protests ended after Deputy O’Flynn agreed to the... Free article

BELFAST: Eyewitness accounts of Gaza Flotilla Massacre by ex-US Marine Ken O’Keefe (who was on the MV Mavi Marmara and clashed with Israeli commandos) and Fiachra Ó Luain.

Thursday 7:30pm, O’Donnell’s CLCG, Whiterock Road.

Talk free, social £5 or £3 unwaged/concessions. All proceeds to Gaza Freedom Flotilla.

SINN FÉIN Dublin North-East Councillor Larry O'Toole was ordered to leave the monthly meeting of Dublin City Council yesterday evening (Monday) after he protested over the refusal of Fine Gael Lord Mayor Gerry Breen to accept a motion designed to save three City Council swimming pools threatened with closure.

Councillor O'Toole said:

“The refusal to accept this motion was an... Free article

You can now view the An Phoblacht Archives from 1997-2010 here.

SINN FÉIN says it will resist the selling off by the Fianna Fáil/Green Party Government of state enterprises.

Sinn Féin Finance spokesperson Arthur Morgan said:

“Sinn Féin will resist every and any attempt to sell off the family silver: state enterprises that are buoyant and actually returning money to the Exchequer.”

It was not state companies that helped cause this crisis, he... Free article

THE Fianna Fáil/Green Party Government is being challenged as to whether its long-promised jobs strategy actually exists.

Read more: http://www.examiner.ie/breakingnews/ireland/sf-challenges-govt-on-jobs-strategy-463998.html#ixzz0shZPgkf6

A SERIES of events will take place across Belfast from July 8-10 to mark the 29th anniversary of the death on hunger strike of IRA Volunteer Joe McDonnell in the H-blocks of Long Kesh. Joe passed away after 61 days and was the fifth man to die in the 1981 Hunger Strike.

Joe's comrades who were in jail with him during the protest - Séanna Walsh, and Jim McCann and Seamus... Free article