Regarding proposals on how best to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the creation of the state of the six counties of Northern Ireland, the initiative of the Irish National Caucus has already been endorsed by thousands of Irish-Americans, Irish in Ireland, and Irish worldwide. And it keeps on growing in support. As of this writing, it has been endorsed by almost 15,000 people who are committed to international human rights, national self-determination, justice, solidarity, non-discrimination, equality, reconciliation, unity and peace.
The initiative is the Caucus internet Petition: “Ireland, too, has the right to be One Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice from all.” – www.change.org/IrelandOneNation.
Our petition – although inspired by, and based on, the famed American Pledge of Allegiance – is universal in its appeal and intention, evoking what is best in the human heart regarding the fundamental issue of justice and peace.
The Petition is ecumenical, inclusive, all-embracing – for Protestants, Catholics and Dissenters. That is the implication of The Beloved Community.
The new mini-state of the six counties came into existence in 1921 but the imperial, racist/sectarian Act (Government of Ireland Act, ‘Partition Act’) was enacted December 23 1920, in England’s parliament.
So, the buck stops there and nowhere else. It was not the unionists who created Northern Ireland. No amount of fudging or abuse of language can deny or cover-up this reality. England’s ridiculous border in Ireland is not ‘just a line on the map’. It is a construct of discredited empire thinking and hubris. Far from being ‘just a line’ it had the power to cause death and destruction for almost a 100 years. And, it has currently the power to pull the north out of the European Union – some ‘line’, eh?
I use the term ‘England’s empire’ rather than the British empire because we can hardly blame Wales or Scotland – especially since Scotland now seems to be heading towards independence. It was always England that was the major culprit; it just dragged Wales and Scotland along in its evil empire that spread and institutionalised racism/sectarianism across about one-quarter of the earth – ‘just lines on the map’ of course, that’s all, eh?
And while we must always be committed to reconciliation, with God and with all God’s children, we must never be reconciled to injustice, inequality, racism and sectarianism – on the island of Ireland or anywhere in the world, because, “the doing of justice is the primary expectation of God”. And – as we are talking about ‘lines’ – God says: “I will make justice the line and righteousness the plummet.” (Is.28: 17-18).
Now that’s the ‘line’ this Kinawley man can live with.
FR SEAN McMANUS
President Irish National Caucus, Washington DC
Sinn Féin continuing to play politics with survivors’ pensions
Sinn Féin has continuously and incessantly worked to stonewall the payment of pensions to survivors of the Troubles. Last week, Martina Anderson MLA said that £800m for pensions would be going to agents of British collusion and those who fought the Brits’ dirty war – meaning that anyone who needs the pension, either colluded with the British during the Troubles or helped fight the dirty war. What a disgusting statement, but sadly SF have shown form in this regard. An issue I and thousands of others have campaigned for is that eligibility for pension payments would be extended to those suffering from psychological injury and PTSD. Our campaign was successful, but now Sinn Féin has
been stonewalling the payment of pensions at least partially on this issue.
Sinn Féin has also refused to nominate the Justice Department to administer the scheme – where the cost is to be borne by the executive. A Belfast High Court Judge ruled that this refusal violated the ‘clear, unqualified and unconditional’ obligation they are under to designate a department to progress and administrate the scheme. This was to be done by establishing a victims’ payment board by May 29. It is now September without any nomination or groundwork having been done.
SF has slighted the survivors of the violence of the Troubles, has compared them to agents of British collusion and violated its legal duty to provide for pensions. They are playing politics with the lives and suffering of survivors – shame on them.
Cllr DENISE MULLEN
Aontú, Mid Ulster District Council
Feeney’s contention is easily supported by facts
Brian Feeney’s contention (August 26) that Northern Ireland is a failed political and economic entity is easily buttressed by the facts. The political failure was ensured in 1922 and the Stormont regimes that followed until after Terence O’Neill. Economically, Professor Peter Shirlow should consult a graph of economic and social development in both Irish jurisdictions over the last 100 years and open his eyes to the facts. Brian Feeney hits the headline numbers and repetition is unnecessary. The health service in the Republic has better outcomes than the NHS for perinatal and maternal mortality figures and for longevity of both males and females (80 and 83 years respectively). Medical cards for kids, long-term illness and the elderly over 70 have free health care. The myth of the superiority of the NHS is just that, a myth. Housing prices reflect success and the steady increase in the population where about 16 per cent are not Irish-born speaks for itself as reflected in housing shortages and prices. Covid-19 and work changes will change the housing demands now. The £10 billion free from London every year is a nice deficit filler. That would be about £24m prorata in the Republic. There is also the issue of self-respect and I am proud of the Republic. I remain most concerned about Derry and the north-west in economic terms and hope that the £10bn transfer (handout) continues.
Prof BILL TORMEY
Beaumont Hospital, Dublin
Possible MLA savings for taxpayers to ponder
Scotland has one elected representative per 41,756 people (pop 5,470,000 – 131 elected reps).
Wales has one elected representative per 53,840 people (pop 3,230,490 – 60 elected reps).
Northern Ireland has one elected representative per 20,907 people (pop 1,881,641 – 90 elected reps).
If instead off five MLAs per constituency we cut the number to three (40 per cent reduction from 90 seats to 54 seats) it would still leave Northern Ireland with one elected representative per 34,845 people and result in the following estimated annual cost savings to the taxpayer.
Salary £2,020,800 (40 per cent of annual £5,052,000 MLA salary bill)
Expenses £2,246,169 (40 per cent of 2018-2019 £5,615,422 MLA expenses bill)
Total annual savings £4,266,969. Maybe the savings could be used to bring back some furloughed workers?
JOHN COYNE
Ontario, Canada
