PEARSE DOHERTY says that Sinn Féin WILL repeal the Fine Gael/Labour Party Local Property Tax as a priority if it is in Government after the next general election. The Donegal TD and Sinn Féin Finance spokesperson made the commitment at the formal launch in Dublin by Sinn Féin on 25 March of the Finance (Local Property Tax Repeal) Bill. Free article

Potographs from the April 2013 edition of An Phoblacht Free article

THIS MONTH marks the 97th anniversary of the Easter Rising – a coming together of nationalists, republicans, Irish-language activists, trade unionists and the women’s movement in the cause of an independent Irish republic. This is a template for Irish republicans in 2013. Free article

MÁS LÉARGAS ar chomh folláin is atá Rialtas ar bith an slí atá an Roinn Sláinte atá faoina gcúram ag feidhmiú, tá an Rialtas seo thar a bheith tinn. Premium service article

IF REPUBLICANS are to be persuaders for a New Ireland, a land of equals, we need to “respond appropriately to the fears and uncertainties of those who see us through different eyes than we see ourselves”, Martin McGuinness says. Free article

DR HEATHER MORRIS, in line to take up the post of the first female President of the Methodist Church in Ireland in June after being elected in June of last year, was an invited speaker to the Sinn Féin National Youth Congress held in Belfast on 1/2 March. The Methodist Church operates across the island of Ireland and the Methodist community in Ireland numbers about 53,000. The Director of Ministry at the Edgehill Theological College in Belfast told her audience of young republicans that “taking parity of esteem seriously rather than just nodding in its direction, doing the hard work of developing a reconciliation process, is going to take effort and it is going to cost”. This is what the President-designate of the Methodist Church in Ireland said to the Sinn Féin National Youth Congress. Free article

AS THE 15th anniversary of the signing of the Good Friday Agreement occurs on 10 April, I am thinking of two distinctively different press conferences: one associated with the Good Friday Agreement, and both involving the former leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, Ian Paisley. Premium service article

VOTING in the Meath East by-election is underway as An Phoblacht goes to print and we’ll carry details of the outcome on our website, but one by-election that has been completed is in Mid Ulster, where Sinn Féin’s Francie Molloy was elected to take the Westminster MP’s seat vacated by Martin McGuinness. Free article

A HARDLINE UNIONIST Bill stopping ex-prisoners who have served more than five years for conflict-related offences taking up Special Adviser (SpAd) posts to MLAs has been allowed by the SDLP to pass its first stage in the Assembly despite opposition by Sinn Féin. Free article

An Phoblacht’s PEADAR WHELAN chronicles here some of the numerous attacks that have taken place, exposing the nonsense that that flags protesters have somehow been discriminated against. Free article

In Greece, Italy and Cyprus ‘the people’ are re-emerging as an active political player. They are refusing to play by the rules of choreographed professional politics Premium service article

CAITHFIDH mé rá go bhfuil muintir Bhéal Feirste chomh grámhar, dearfach, stuama agus díograiseach maidir lena an gcur chuige i leith an Ghaeilge. Free article