It is the business of a cement company to build walls. That we know. But what company would want to be involved in the building of a wall which has been dubbed the 'Apartheid Wall', by not only human rights organisations, but leaders of virtually every country in the world? The answer is Irish company Cement Roadstone Holdings. Free article

As Sinn Féin launches into another year of elections, the party's elected representatives from across Ireland gathered in Navan last weekend for a well-attended first national conference of the National Elected Representative Forum. The purpose, as Francie Molloy outlined in his report on the workings of this forum, was to co-ordinate the various strands of our elected representation of 170 councillors, TDs, MLAs and MPs, so strengthen "the very powerful force it is, across the island - a force for change". Free article

On Monday 23 February, the International Court of Justice at The Hague is holding a hearing into the legality of the Wall that Israel is building on Palestinian territory to cut off the West Bank. It impedes the Palestinian people's access to land, water resources, education and medical care and violates their most basic economic and social rights. So far, Israel's government, leaded by ultra-conservative Ariel Sharon, is refusing to attend the Court hearing. Free article

On Friday last 13 February, Louth TD and Sinn Féin spokesperson on the Environment Arthur Morgan travelled to London to address a conference on Sellafield organised by the Norwegian-based Bellona Foundation. The Conference was also addressed by Børge Brende, Norwegian Environment Minister; Asmund Kristoffersen, Chairman of the Nordic Council Environment and Natural Resources Committee; Frederic Hauge, Director of the Bellona Environment Foundation; Bruce McKirdy of NIREX; and Rex Strong, Head of Environmental Management at BNFL. Free article

West Tyrone MLA Barry McElduff will take advantage of Bertie Ahern's visit to Omagh today to hand him a letter signed by eight local Sinn Féin councillors highlighting a number of key issues where he as Taoiseach might actively give expression to Sinn Féin's concerns. These include requests for Ahern to take a stronger line on pressing the British with regard to collusion and the publication of the Cory report, to press the British Government to introduce democratic legislation which will see the return of tens of thousands of voters onto the register in the Six Counties. Free article

Sinn Féin Health spokesperson Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin TD welcomed Wednesday's announcement that the ban on smoking in the workplace will commence on 29 March. He described it as "an important advance for workers in terms of the conditions in which they labour and in terms of public health generally". Free article

A picket was held last Friday 13 February at Leinster House to protest at the round-up and mass deportation of 70 so-called illegals the previous day. Rosanna Flynn of Residents Against Racism and TDs Finian McGrath and Joe Costello addressed some 50 demonstrators, many of them young people, on the details of the mass deportation to Romania and Moldova which had left the state at 7.50am the previous day carrying 65 people, including 12 or 13 children, accompanied by 35 Gardaí, doctors and interpreters. Free article

Responding to the publication of the Garda Siochána Bill 2004 on Tuesday, Sinn Féin Dáil spokesperson on Justice, Equality and Human Rights, Aengus Ó Snodaigh, said he "recognised that improvements had been made" to the Minister's original proposals but that the Bill was still deficient. "We need to get this critical area of public policy exactly right, not partly right," he said. Free article

The St Patrick's Day Carnival Committee launched its new website in Belfast City Centre on Tuesday 17 February. The new website, www.stpatricksdaybelfast.com, will act as a marketing and fundraising site for the St Patrick's Carnival Committee, which is campaigning for Belfast City Council to fund an event outside the City Hall on 17 March. Free article