Broadband for Clady

Sinn Fein Cllr Gerard Foley says that he is hopeful that people in the Clady area will soon be able to access internet Broadband.

“I have been inundated with complaints from villagers and people in the surrounding area about still not being able to access the internet Broadband, one of the few remaining areas of the six counties still not able to access the service.

“At the October 10th meeting of Strabane District Council, I requested that a letter be sent to BT to ask that broadband services be made available in the Clady area. As a result of this request I am encouraged that Mr Frank Manus, Head of Broadband for BT in the six counties, is now scheduled to make a presentation to Council to address the issue next month.

“Given that Mr Mc Manus has led the team which has spearheaded the phenomenal role out of Broadband since BT was awarded the contract with this remit by the Department of Enterprise Trade and Investment in July 2003, I am sure that Mr Mc Manus will be keen to ensure that whatever obstacles are holding up the availability of Broadband in the Clady area are removed as quickly as possible especially given that BT have been saying for some time that there is already 100% Broadband coverage right across in the six counties.”

North West delegation make impact in Europe

Strabane Sinn Fein Councillor Jarlath Mc Nulty says that he is confident that the in-depth engagements undertaken by a 25 strong delegation, make up of representatives of 5 Chambers of Commerce and party representatives from the north west, with decision makers at the highest levels within the European Parliament in Brussels last week will bear fruit for not only Strabane but the north west as a whole.

Cllr Mc Nulty said,
“This was an important trip. We brought together the Chambers of Commerce from Strabane, Buncrana, Letterkenny, Gaoth Dobhair, and Derry along with Sinn Féin representatives from throughout the North West region. We met with senior members of the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Irish Regions Office and the Northern Executive, as well as the European Chamber of Commerce. During these engagements regional development in the North West, the PEACE III and IFI funds and the new proposed European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation were addressed.

“The Border Corridor area has clearly suffered most from partition and is characterised by:

• High unemployment • Poor educational facilities and low educational attainment • Rural isolation • Inadequate health systems • Poor communications, high energy costs and weak transport infrastructure • The Border Corridor Area is the poorest region in Ireland. • The North West is the poorest area of the poorest region.

“Sinn Féin is about putting together an integrated approach to tackling this deprivation and under investment. During our meetings today we sought support for:

• a North West Regional Economic Development Strategy • a North West Regional Economic Authority

“We also sought EU funding for a proposal which is at an advanced stage for a North West Medical School which will involve co-operation between NUI in Galway, Magee in Derry and the IT colleges in Sligo and Letterkenny.

“This has been a positive trip and much good work has been accomplished. Clearly the coming together of the five Chambers to lobby for common goals is important and the significance of this was not lost on those we met over the past 24 hours.

“Sinn Féin will seek to build upon the work completed during this trip and bring to a conclusion the projects which we have sought support for here in Brussels. This is clearly still work in progress and work which we will continue in the time ahead.”

Political policing alive and well in Castlederg

Sinn Fein Cllr Charlie Mc Hugh says that the PSNI has once again shown its true colours in Castlederg in the selective arrest of nationalist youths following weekend trouble in the town which was not only instigated by loyalist youths but in which they were the main aggressors.

Cllr Mc Hugh said,
“The weekend trouble began in Castlederg on Saturday night when a young nationalist was badly assaulted by loyalists outside a Chinese takeaway in the town. On Sunday, the same loyalists made their way up to the nationalist end of the town and fighting ensued with a number of young nationalists who were in the vicinity at the time.

“By the time the PSNI arrived the fighting had stooped and there was an uneasy standoff between two groups. However, the PSNI went and consulted with the loyalist crowd who began pointing out local nationalist youths. True to form the PSNI done the bidding of the loyalists by moving into the nationalist crowd before handcuffing and arresting three nationalist youths (and subsequently arrested a fourth youth).

“Other nationalists who had witnessed these events, and others who had subsequently arrived on the scene, attempted to remonstrate with the PSNI about the completely partisan nature of these policing actions and asking why whenever there is any bother in Castlederg it is only nationalists who are arrested and dragged before the courts. However, these complaints fell on deaf ears as the youths were taken to Strabane barracks.

“This weekends events and the ongoing pattern of overt political policing in Castlederg fit into the comments of a senior PSNI officer in Castlederg barracks when he threatened that he would not rest until every nationalist youth in the area has a criminal record.

“Last December, hundreds of local nationalists converged on Castlederg barracks to protest about the blatantly bigoted actions of the PSNI in the Castlederg area. One year on and the situation has if anything got worse. The spotlight must be now firmly shone on the political and sectarian agenda of the PSNI in Castlederg.”

Road Service must address neglect of Mid-Tyrone Roads-Sinn Féin

Sinn Féin Cllr Mickey Mc Anespie says that Roads Service’s response to repeated representations about the deteriorating state of some of the main arterial routes in Mid-Tyrone area is verging on neglect through allowing the repeated slippage of its road repair schedules and because of reneging on previous commitments.

He said,
“Some of the main arterial routes through mid-Tyrone are being allowed to fall into a terrible state of disrepair because Roads Service is continually putting back the timescale for urgent repair and upgrade work that it has previously.

“For example, the much needed upgrade of the busy Whitebridge Road, which has been promised for years now, has still not materialised and we are now being told that it is now been included in the 2007-9 schedule.

“The side-filling and resurfacing work that was promised for the Skeboy/Aghnagreggan Road between Lochmacrory and Carrickmore in a previous schedule is now no where to be seen in the current schedule and neither is their any sign of a commitment to carry out much needed upgrading of the Creggan Road between Greencastle and Carrickmore.

“This repeated slippage in the time-scales for work schedules and the reengaging on previous commitments to carry out much needed work on these busy roads in the mid-Tyrone is bordering on the neglect of this area.

“I raised these issues with Roads Service when its officials last addressed Council last month and despite being on to the phone to Road Service Engineers at least once a week little remedial action have been taken to redress these pressing issues.
“On a positive note, I welcome the work completed last week by Road’s Service to improve the site lines at the Quarry/Termon Rd junction. This was a very dangerous junction and road safety has been greatly enhanced for little expenditure. However, Road Service cannot allow the issue of cost to compromise road safety on the other stretches of roads that I am demanding action on.”

Announcement of North West-Dublin motorway/dual carriageway proposal expected in National Development Plan

West Tyrone Sinn Fein MP Pat Doherty says that there are clear indications that the Dublin government has now been forced to amend its National Development Plan, which is scheduled to be published on January 19th, to include substantial investment in the main N14, A5, N2 route from the North West to Dublin so to bring it up to a standard comparable to other routes that are similarly designated as key strategic transport corridors on the island.

Mr Doherty said,
“It is clear that the vigorous ongoing campaign by Sinn Fein on a national basis and by local authorities and cross-border groups in the northwest and border counties has forced the Dublin government to amend its National Development Plan, to accede to the growing demand to redress the transport infrastructure deficit in the northwest part of Ireland.

“One Dublin government Minister based in Donegal went on record last week to say that the Cabinet has now agreed that the N14, A5,N2 route will be accorded motorway status in the amended National Development Plan while there are other conflicting reports that it will be accorded Dual carriageway status. Despite the mixed signals I nonetheless welcome this u-turn and will be eagerly awaiting the publication of the Plan next month to ascertain the envisaged timescale and investment outlay for the proposed route upgrade between the northwest and Dublin.

“Sinn Fein has been continually pushing and will continue to push both governments for a substantial Peace Dividend, not least, so as redress the infrastructure deficit west of the Bann and in the Border Counties. In October, the Dublin government confirmed that for the first time it would include a spend of €1 Billion on infrastructure investment in the six counties as part of its National Development Plan 2007-2013 with the upgrading of the A5 Derry to Aughnacloy being one of the key projects being earmarked for investment.

“If, as it now appears, the Dublin government is prepared to make a substantial investment in this key strategic transport corridor from the North West to Dublin then I view this development as being very significant.

“However, the potential to overcome one of the most glaring infrastructural deficits on the island of Ireland will only be realised if the British government also agree to play ball and step up to the plate with its own financial package for this and other essential infrastructural projects. To date the British government has not committed itself to anything resembling a proper Peace Dividend never mind a specific commitment to jointly finance the development of the North West to Dublin route. However, I fear that unless the British government are forced into this commitment, the Dublin government may feel that they have a way out of the commitments that they are now being forced to make.”

Omagh Council Chair hopes for fully inclusive “ Day of Reflection”

Cllr Seán Begley, the Sinn Fein Chair of Omagh District Council, hopes that every section of the community will be represented at Sunday’s “Day of Reflection” event at the Grange Park Council grounds at 2pm at which all those who have died as a result of war and conflict from the locality will be remembered.

Speaking about the event Cllr Begley said,
“There has been an extremely positive response to the invites that have been extended to local community and civic sector groups from throughout the District to attend Sunday’s “Day of Reflection.

This positive response is, I believe, a growing acknowledgement from within the community that all inclusive events like this have an important part to play in the healing and reconciliation process.

“I believe that the message that goes out from unique events such as this is that it acknowledges that the suffering and pain of all those who have been bereaved as a result of conflict is the same and that we must all work collectively to ensure that we will never again allow political difference to plunge our communities into conflict and despair.

“The ceremony will include the laying of a floral tribute along and music and reflective readings and I hope for widespread community participation, including people from the various ethnic communities who are such an integral part of the fabric of our community in Omagh District.

Doherty comments on bomb incidents in Strabane District
West Tyrone Sinn Fein MP Pat Doherty says that there is absolutely no support for those responsible for leaving an explosive devise at Cloughor on the main A5 Strabane to Derry Road and the ongoing bomb alert at Strahulter Road in Newtownstewart.

The local MP said,
“There is no support in the community for those responsible for these futile actions.

“Devoid of either support, strategy or a vision for the future, the only thing that those responsible have achieved is to have caused widespread disruption to members of the local community attempting to go about their everyday business”.