Irish company should reveal profits from 'Apartheid Wall'

Sinn Féin has called on Irish company Cement Roadstone Holdings (CRH) to reveal the profits it has made from the building of the notorious 'Apartheid Wall' in Palestine. An Phoblacht revealed CRH's involvement in the wall in 2004.

The Irish Building materials group reported pre-tax profits of more than €1.25 billion for 2005, compared with €1.1 billion in 2004.

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Human Rights and International Affairs Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD called on the company to divulge the percentage of the profits announced that was generated from CRH's involvement in the building of the illegal Apartheid Wall and settlements in Palestine.

Ó Snodaigh said: "CRH has been implicated in the construction of the illegal Apartheid Wall by Israel deep inside Palestinian territory, an action ruled illegal by the International Court of Justice. Given the massive profits announced today by Cement Roadstone Holdings it would appear that the company prioritises rampant profiteering over basic human rights.

"The wall is inflicting hardship and misery on a troubled people, it divides communities, keeps farmers from their land and in places cuts people off from vital natural resources like water. For anyone to profit off the back of that is a disgrace but for a company with such profits as CRH to be benefiting from such misery is scandalous.

"I am calling on CRH to divulge the percentage of the •1.25 Billion profits announced this morning that was generated from their involvement in the building of the illegal Apartheid Wall and settlements in Palestine."