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FROM THE PRESIDENT
 :: BULLETIN BOARD . . .
Statement of Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr.
U.S. House of Representatives
Friday, February 16, 2007
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in amazement at what can only be described as the utter inflexibility of the Reverend Ian Paisley. Mr. Paisley's dislike of the Catholic population in the North of Ireland is well documented and needs no repeating on the floor of this body. Suffice it to say that John Hume's observation "if the word 'No' was removed from the English language, Ian Paisley would be speechless" is an accurate description of Mr. Paisley's ability for thoughtful negotiation and compromise.
What does deserve recounting here however are the remarkable strides that have been taken by Sinn Fein in the quest for a just and lasting peace for all the people of Northern Ireland, as well as the hard work and dedication shown by the Taoiseach Bertie Ahearn and Prime Minister Tony Blair in this endeavor.
Prime Minister Blair has not always used the full force of his office to secure peace on the island of Ireland. However, he has shown himself to be a true friend to the Irish people and a strident negotiator for peace and I am proud to commend him for that. His diligence in the pursuit of peace stands in stark contrast to that of Mr. Paisley.
Mr. Speaker, heroic efforts have been put forth by all parties - republican, nationalist and unionists alike - to address this situation. It began with the signing of the Good Friday Accords in 1998 and the commitment of the IRA to end its armed campaign and commit to the development of purely political and exclusively peaceful means. The IRA then went on to put their arms completely and verifiably beyond use, which was confirmed by the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning.
Then, most recently, Sinn Fein voted in its extraordinary Ard Fheis, or political convention, to support the policing institutions. This includes a police service that has been shown by the independent Police Ombudsman to have engaged in collusion with loyalist paramilitaries resulting in the death of at least ten people, both Catholic and Protestant.
Despite all this, Mr. Paisley has refused to enter into government with Sinn Fein and put the needs of his constituency and that of the citizens of Northern Ireland above those of his own petty hatred and extremist allies.
Mr. Paisley cannot continue to stand in the way of peace and justice for the people of Northern Ireland. The people of the North have waited far too long and sacrificed far too much for him to continue to be a roadblock to peace. Responsible leadership is needed on the unionist side in the North to show that extremism, bigotry and hatred will not be tolerated.
Mr. Speaker, I have taken to this floor many times in the last few years to talk about the situation in Northern Ireland. The progress which has been made is nothing short of remarkable considering the violence that has plagued this area, literally for centuries.
The one constant that those of us who care about a just and lasting peace have seen is Mr. Paisley -- increasingly out of touch, afraid of losing his grip on power and more interested in living with the hatred of the past than embracing the promise of tomorrow. It is well past time Reverend Ian Paisley move along and let the people of Northern Ireland get on with their lives.
JANUARY 10, 2007 -- SPECIAL ORDER
REP. FRANK PALLONE, JR.
REMARKS ON THE IRISH PEACE PROCESS
Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor this evening to once again call on Dr. Ian Paisley and the Democratic Unionist Party to support peace and justice in Northern Ireland and not get in the way of creating a truly devolved government. I call upon my colleagues to support the "New Beginning" policy envisioned in the Good Friday Agreement and the subsequent Patten Report even as Northern Ireland tackles the controversial issue of setting up a fair and effective criminal justice system.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair has called Sinn Fein's leadership under President Gerry Adams "remarkable," and I certainly agree. Despite a long history of unfair treatment and attacks by unionist paramilitaries and others, Sinn Fein is moving down the path to devolution by supporting the Police Service of Northern Ireland and working with the criminal justice system.
In order for the citizens of Northern Ireland to have a police force they can respect and cooperate with, they need to be assured that power sharing will be restored and officials will ensure sufficient accountability to prevent the types of abuses that have plagued the Catholic community in the North for so long.
Mr. Speaker, the community of Northern Ireland and all of the political parties must be involved in the process to create a New Beginning to Policing. Since the Patten Commission report in September 1999, much progress has been made in terms of increased recruiting of Catholic officers, establishment of District Policing Boards and increased oversight and accountability of the police service. The St. Andrews Agreement, issued this past year, showed that the path to restoring critical political institutions should include support for and devolution of policing.
Sinn Fein has taken the bold step of moving forward to support the policing institutions. Now Dr. Paisley seems to want to stay in the past instead of recognizing that it is time to move forward with a police service and a government that respects and represents all the people of Northern Ireland.
Mr. Speaker, I again commend Gerry Adams, the leadership of Sinn Fein, Prime Minster Blair, and the Taoiseach Bertie Ahearn for all of their hard work and courage in moving the peace process forward. It will not be easy to overcome the troubling history of discrimination and distrust between communities in Northern Ireland. I hope, however, that Dr. Paisley and the membership of the Democratic Unionist Party will put aside the politics of the past and become a partner in moving towards a just and lasting peace.
November/December, 2006 Dear Brothers: Bad news comes in threes and unfortunately N. I. is no exception. The report that the PSNI have ‘lost’ nearly 1000 murder files was followed by the Cassel/Kemp Report which documents “by any reasonable standard” the collusion of the PSNI with loyalist death squads in murdering 75 people. Then DUP leader Nigel Dodds announces that “..Sinn Fein can’t be trusted holding security responsibility for a long time.” Where do they get the gall??? The Blair government seems committed to devolved government but the DUP and their securocrat allies are stalling to the British election next year hoping to keep police and intelligence functions in London. We must do all we can to inform President Bush and the Members of Congress (new and old) that the swift restoration of devolved government in the North with all its powers including police is the only way forward. You can help this process by contributing to our annual Christmas Appeal. One of last year recipients, the Pat Finucane Centre, helped fund and promote the Cassel/Kemp Report. Another, Relatives for Justice, fought and won in court its case against Secretary Hain’s “unlawful and discriminate” appointment of a Victims Commissioner. These successes are in addition to your aid of ex-prisoner services provided by Tar Anall and Coiste na n-larchimi . We urge you to continue and expand your support if possible. Please send all donations c/o Sean Pender, 13 Scullin Drive, Hamilton, NJ 08620. We encourage anyone to join one of three AOH groups organizing trips to the North for the Bloody Sunday anniversary. Please contact the following as soon as possible for further info. Jack Sullivan at 732-291-5708 or fenian1881@aol.com or Jim Magee at 513-309-2940 or jvmageejr@mageelaw.com ; or Jo Ann at 410-467-4147 or miskellycox@verizon.net
By ROB SPAHR Staff Writer, (609) 978-2012
TUCKERTON — Mayor Kevin Quinlan has never kept his Irish pride a secret, so it is no surprise that Quinlan has announced plans for the borough to host an Irish Festival at Tip Seaman Park. On the weekend of June 16 the borough, along with several Irish heritage groups including the Ancient Order of the Hibernians, will host the first of what Quinlan hopes will be many large-scale Irish festivals at the park. The event is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. June 16 with a rain date scheduled for June 17. The borough still needs permission from the Ocean County Parks Department to use the park for the event, but the Borough Council passed a resolution Monday night to formally request permission. “I hope that this can be as big as the Duck and Decoy show,” said Quinlan, who was actually in Ireland 16 hours before making the announcement.
Haemochromatosis – it’s the genetic disease that is particularly prevalent in people of Irish or Celtic origin yet most of us have never even heard of it. In some parts of the world it has even been nicknamed the "Celtic Curse", such is its propensity to afflict Irish or Celtic people. Essentially, people with haemochromatosis suffer from "iron overload" in their system. Normally the human body maintains a fine balance between the daily need for iron and the amount absorbed from food. However, people with haemochromatosis have a fault in the balancing process. Over a number of years they absorb and accumulate too much iron, which in turn deposits itself around the various organs and in the joints. Ask your Doctor to check the next time you have blood work. 1 in 83 people of Irish or Celtic background carry both genes that cause this disorder. For more info log onto www.haemochromatosis-ir.com
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