Representing the people is an absolute privilege

I moved into my new office on the Cliftonville Road at the beginning of May this year. It is right in the heart of the constituency and it is the first time that Gerry Kelly and I have individual offices since 2007. I have some separation issues!  

We are operating an appointment system because of Covid-19 and it’s really busy. Of course, there are the constituents who just knock the door and need some quick advice and there are others with complex issues that will take more time.

The Cliftonville Sinn Féin office covers some affluent areas, but we represent mainly some of the most deprived communities in the North. Parts of North Belfast are staunchly Republican and the people have supported the growth and development of the political and peace processes. This area has not seen the investment it is entitled to and it is my job to ensure we seen the redevelopment and regeneration for this community.

There is no coincidence that poverty and poor physical and mental health are connected. It is the same for North Inner City Dublin as it is for North Belfast. However, the impact of the conflict has indelibly marked the lives of so many people here and we are now seeing three generations of families who have experienced imprisonment and bereavement. Some are still fighting legacy cases of their loved ones almost 50 years later.

Access to good, affordable public and private housing, hospital waiting lists and jobs and apprenticeships are some of the most persistent problems that we deal with on a daily basis. The issue of sectarianism in housing building programmes and allocations are still being felt in North Belfast after 60 plus years of Unionist rule.  

An example of this was when Nigel Dodds, now Lord Dodds of Duncairn, the former MP for North Belfast and the DUP’s senior negotiator, actually left a Brexit negotiations meeting with the EU and British Government to oppose a housing programme that people from the nationalist and republican community would have benefited from.

I am also seeing people from the Protestant, unionist, and loyalist community too. When it comes to suicide prevention, addiction or poor housing, all working class families are the same and Sinn Féin has a proud record in representing anyone who asks for help and long will that continue.

Despite all the challenges, I am loving this new office.  Where else can you walk into the local shop and an 81-year-old asks you if you’re single with a cheeky grin? Or that people know your entire family and still remember your Ma’s maiden name.

They know my history, and I know theirs and frankly, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.  The challenges, at times, keep me awake at night though. 

• Tigers Bay 12 July bonfire – built right beside an interface, yards from their homes

Recently, residents in the New Lodge area had bottles, bricks, and golf balls thrown at their homes damaging property from neighbouring Tigers Bay as a result of weeks of building a 12 July bonfire. This bonfire was built right beside an interface, yards from their homes.

I was still shocked that children were lifted from their beds in the early hours of the morning and brought to families for their own safety in 2021. Those images were reminiscent of the late 1990’s and 2000’s of interface violence in North Belfast and it was genuinely shocking to see the same fear and distress on people’s faces in the run-up to the 12th.

Today, I’ve had queries from residents regarding travel and Covid Certs, fishing licences, private landlords not doing repairs, referrals to the Children and Adolescent Mental Health Teams, safety at work for nurses, and getting appointments with local GPs.

Every Thursday night, we have a Social Media Clinic from 6.30-8 and it’s also really busy. I still enjoy being an elected activist for North Belfast. My constituents are interested in Irish unity, and many who cross our door give off about the bias on RTÉ and BBC opposed to reunification, and criticising the hard time ‘our ones’ got during an interview in comparison to other parties.

That’s the joys of being in Sinn Féin and in North Belfast, we have as much to say about the right-wing conservative Tories, be they Irish or British. People want to live free from sectarian harassment. They want to know why the truth about their loved one’s death decades ago is still being covered up. They want to have a good life and they don’t ask me for much. There are days I haven’t time to bless myself, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. Growing up and still living in North Belfast is brilliant and representing the people on behalf of Sinn Féin since 2003 is an absolute privilege.