Welcome to this week's Words on Wednesday feature here on United Irelander, a concept unique to the Irish blogosphere, which sees me interview various figures from all walks of political life.

Taking my questions this week I'm pleased to say is Irish Senator and human rights activist David Norris.

I'd like to thank Mr Norris for very kindly agreeing to be interviewed. With that being said, let's begin:

What initially attracted you to political life?

I was initially attracted to political life by a sense of injustice and the belief that even in a small way people, by entering the political process, can help to change things for the better. I was also associated with Mary Robinson's first election campaign to the Senate and ultimately followed in her footsteps into the Senate via the TCD constituency.

You are a Senator representing graduates of Trinity College Dublin. Talk us through a typical day in your life.

A typical day in my life would be first of all to deal with whatever post arrives here at home, then to go down to Order of Business in the Senate. The Order of Business is often the most lively and exciting part of the day and its the one in which the limited media focus that exists for the Senate is concentrated. The rest of the day consists in making contributions where appropriate on legislation or on statements, trying to get issues ventilated such as the war in Iraq etc. I might also then have to attend one of the two committees on which I serve, the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Transport Committee.

I also deal with extensive post. Many people contact me as if I were their local TD and others raise issues, many of great substance. I may also have interviews to do either directly or with the media. At lunch I would often have somebody in who has contacted me about a particular issue or have invited somebody in myself in order to brief me from an expert position.

What are your thoughts on the Seanad? Do you feel it provides a useful service to Irish society or do you think it's in need of reform?

With regard to the Senate I do think it provides a useful service to Irish Society, in particular we led the debate on issues like the Iraq War, the CIA Rendition Flights, we had the first debate on Aids in either house and we have managed to open up the area of debate in issues such as Civil Partnership. Nevertheless I think it is certainly in need of reform and the best reform would be to make the 43 panel members, who are presently elected on basis of an electorate that consists entirely of politicians, open to the ordinary members of the nominating bodies.

If you could change three things about Irish society, what would you change and why?

The three things I would change about Irish Society would be the excessive and rather sad drinking, especially among young people whose lives are sometimes clearly damaged by excess. I would also like to see something done about the disregard we show for our environment ranging from the filthy litter strewn streets of Dublin to the pollution of our rivers and so on and finally I would change our continuing wish to live in the past and refight old battles.

What are your thoughts on a United Ireland?

With regard to a United Ireland, I have no problems with it at all as long as it doesn't cost lives. In the present European situation I think national boundaries mean less and less.

What should be done to improve the situation in NI?

With regard to improving things in Northern Ireland, I think the most important thing is to get the two principal communities to know each other and acknowledge each other's rights. The old tag about parity of esteem comes into mind. I also think that relaxing the sectarian hold on education of all the principal churches would be good because if people are educated together they get to know each other.

There have been calls in the past to allow MPs from NI to speak in the Oireachtas, perhaps in the Seanad. Would you welcome such a move?

I have no problem having distinguished speakers addressing the Oireachtas. This is already extended to MEPs and I would have no difficulty in it being extended to members of the Assembly from Northern Ireland or indeed MPs. However, I don't think this should be a statutory right as I think that should be retained to those who have been duly elected to Seanad Eireann.

Recently there was a military parade held in honour of the Easter Rising. I know in the past you have spoken of your unease at celebrating the Rising. What are your thoughts on the 1916 Rising and what did you make of the military parade?

With regard to the military parade I don't like militarism and I felt that the parade at Easter was a cynical attempt by the Government to outflank Sinn Fein.

Sticking with the Rising, you have previously commented that: "We got an Irish Free State, but there was going to be one anyway. They got kudos for that. And of course the Brits were bloody fools." However Garret Fitzgerald recently commented that to say Home Rule would have led peacefully to Irish independence was "alternative history gone mad." What are your thoughts on that?

I have of course respect for Garret Fitzgerald's opinion as he is a senior and highly respected politician who has a family background in the struggle for independence. However on this subject I disagree with him. I believe that Irish independence in the limited form gained in 1922 was very much on the cards and could have been achieved.

You have long campaigned for greater rights for homosexuals and you were the first openly gay person elected to public office in this country. What are your thoughts on the way homosexuality is now treated in modern Ireland?

With regard to homosexuality in Ireland, the treatment of gay people has certainly improved very considerably. When I was young it was not only a criminal offence but it was a subject that was not spoken of at all in polite society and any implication at all that one was gay could lead to social and economic disaster. However young people coming into knowledge of sexuality whether heterosexual or homosexual very often go through a rocky period in adolesence when they are finding themselves. This I think will continue to be true.

There is also no question that for some people and in some areas of the country things remain difficult. I hope however that when we pass legislation recognising civil partnership things will improve further.

Staying with homosexuality, you have in the past criticised Pope Benedict XVI and stated that teachings of the Catholic Church on homosexuality are "in line with the prejudices that included Hitler and Himmler". Do you stand by that view?

Yes I stand by my view on the teachings of the Catholic Church being in line with the prejudices that included Hitler and Himmler. There is unfortunately a long history of this kind of discrimination going right back to the early period of the Christian Roman Empire. Both Jews and gay people suffered parallel discrimination both socially and legislatively and the Christian Church stood firmly behind this and was in many ways the source of it.

Pope Benedict the XVI joined the Hitler Youth and was in it for a number of years. This was not compulsory as he himself has acknowledged. I have read a statement of his in which he indicated that he did so in order to acquire certain educational privileges that assisted him with his studies for the priesthood. I do think that we are entitled to a further explanation of this especially in the light of the fact that he has presided over the uttering of statements describing homosexual behaviour as intrinsically evil and objectively disordered and also tolerated the expression of the view of the Spanish hierarchy that the recognition of gay relationships represented "a virus" in Spanish society.

This is exactly the kind of language that Himmler used in his promulgation of sexual hygiene laws which were directed against gay people and which paralleled the racial hgiene laws against the Jews.

What are your thoughts on the Orange Order?

With regard to the Orange Order, I regard it as a narrow and sectarian institution many of whose foundation documents are blisteringly anti-Catholic and in that context greatly to be regretted. I was strongly opposed to the whole Drumcree episode and wrote to all the Bishops of the Church of Ireland objecting to the use of the Church of Ireland for this political purpose.

What are your thoughts on the current conflict in Iraq right now and Ireland's position?

With regard to Iraq, I am in the awful position of having predicted in the Senate exactly the tragic mess into which George Bush and Tony Blair would lead us all.

With regard to Ireland's position, we have been ambiguous to say the least. The use of Shannon airport is a moral disgrace. I was not impressed by Bertie Ahern saying that this was a tradition that had gone back over fifty years. Indeed it did and it meant that we also facilitated the appalling war in Vietnam with the destruction of many hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians lives and the use of chemical components such as Agent Orange used in a massive defolation of the countryside.

You are one of the few Irish politicians who blogs. Why do you blog and do you see more Irish politicians taking it up? (Mr Norris' blog can be found here)

The reason I blog even though I am technically illiterate is because I think it is very important to communicate with the general public, especially if you are committed to change in society and in international relations. As a result I am happy to use whatever technology comes to hand in order to disseminate ideas.

Where should Ireland be twenty years from now?

I would hope that Ireland twenty years from now would be continuing to prosper but with a greater sense of responsibility internationally and that we would be leading the way in trying to establish ethical responses in terms of foreign policy and accepting our global interconnectedness.

Finally, I'd like to play a small round of word association. I'm sure you know what it entails. Basically just outline what word comes into your head when you hear the following names:

Bertie Ahern - Shrewdness
Tony Blair - Insincerity
George W. Bush - Sniggering hypocrisy
Mary McAleese - If you are Irish come into the parlour
Ian Paisley - If you are Irish stay out of the parlour
Gerry Adams - Its my parlour anyway
Michael McDowell - Is the parlour licenced?
Pope Benedict the XVI - Dialogue Schmialogue
Padraig Pearse - Blood Sacrifice
David Norris - That gobshite!

Many thanks.

Thank you, Senator.

Information on future interviews will be posted soon. Be sure to keep clicking in to United Irelander for for your firsthand look at Irish political life.

Previous interviews can be read here.

Well done to British director Ken Loach who has dismissed claims his award-winning film The Wind That Shakes The Barley is anti-British.

He told BBC Breakfast this was "nonsense" saying:

"We could have shown things that were much worse than are actually in the film."

He also said accusations that his film could be seen as a recruiting tract for the Irish Republican Army were "a cheap shot" and "barely worth answering". The film centres around Ireland's struggle for independence from Britain in the 1920s and also touches on the Civil War which followed. It has just won the Palme d'Or at Cannes.

The film, told entirely from the perspective of its Irish characters, shows British soldiers to be indiscriminately violent. Loach, however, said this was a true depiction of how the Black and Tans and the Auxiliaries behaved:

"Their brutality is legendary - no one would question that."

He added that the film was "about a group of people, mainly young lads, who are fighting to get an army of occupation out of their country":

"You could compare them to the French Resistance and the Partisans in Italy."

Indeed you could and Mr Roach is right about the Black and Tans as well. I had a teacher from Kerry who once told our class how when he was a boy he saw the Tans break into his home and physically assault his grandmother and grandfather. The Black and Tans were no joke and committed some terrible atrocities in Ireland.

I personally can't wait to see this film but I do hope it's more historically accurate than the Michael Collins film was. I also hope it gives proper credit to the IRA of the early twentieth century as I feel the Old IRA have suffered as a result of later versions who, in my opinion anyway, misappropriated their ideals.

More to the point this film isn't about bashing modern-day Britain or British people. The majority of Irish people are not so stupid that they would lash out at the Britain of today due to decisions made by the Britain of the past.

I actually think we're at an excellent point in time now where we can look back on events like the War of Independence and the Civil War and have a healthy debate on the decisions that were made back then.

If the movie causes debate, and I suspect it will, then it is already doing us all a healthy service.

One of the biggest new stories of the moment concerns the shooting of leading Ulster Volunteer Force paramilitary chief Mark Haddock who has been left in a critical condition.

The Ulster Unionists must be feeling very uneasy about this incident after their widely criticised move to align themselves with the Progressive Unionist Party, the political wing of the UVF.

Ulster Unionist MLA Roy Beggs Jnr has already condemned those behind the shooting:

"The perpetrators of this barbaric act must be swiftly taken off the streets and subjected to the fullest rigour of the law."

The DUP's Nigel Dodds likewise hit out at those responsible while Sinn Féin's Gerry Kelly suggested it could have been state sponsored:

"An inquiry into collusion between the Mount Vernon UVF and the Special Branch is currently being conducted by the Police Ombudsman and is due to be published next month.

"Mark Haddock is at the centre of this inquiry. Given this many people will be rightly suspicious of both the timing and the motivation behind this shooting.

"There is a clear pattern of former British agents being killed in circumstances like this just as allegations of collusion or other activities are about to be exposed, as was the case of those involved in the murder of Pat Finucane."

I do believe myself that there are elements within British Intelligence who want the peace process to fail despite the efforts of Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern. With that being the case I don't regard it as beyond the realms of possibility that this could have been conducted with backing from elements within the British state.

After all, if this man dies and the UVF are found to be involved in some way, it will be a real blow for the prospect of reviving devolution since the DUP would be left in a very comfortable position. In contrast, the UUP could face political meltdown. The DUP wouldn't have to alter their present strategy.

Whether it was or wasn't state sponsored, it remains clear that incidents like this leave Reg Empey and his party looking very exposed and it makes his decision to align his party with the PUP appear even more foolish.

It will be interesting to see how this pans out.

Some of you who read United Irelander may have become aware of serious defamatory claims that have been made against me on two sites.

The posts I am referring to can be read both here and here.

I'd like to thank those who have so far emailed me expressing their concerns about these posts and I can tell you that I am currently getting legal advice in regard to these posts.

According to Irish defamation laws:

"Defamation occurs where a false statement is published about a person which tends to lower that person in the eyes of right-thinking members of society. Defamation is a generic term – slander is defamation in a transient form, while libel is defamation in written or permanent (or equivalent) form.

"Defamatory statements include accusations of professional incompetence, or of unethical, illegal or immoral behaviour."

It does seem to me that defamatory allegations have been made about me in the two posts highlighted above.

I welcome anyone with a legal background to proffer advice on the best way to handle this matter.

Thanks again for your support.

It was on this day, May 30th, 1983, that the Irish government established the New Ireland Forum to consult on the manner in which lasting peace and stability could be achieved in a new Ireland.

Four political parties took part in the Forum who represented three-quarters of the entire population of Ireland. Sinn Féin were excluded due to Provisional IRA violence whilst the unionist parties and the Alliance Party chose not to attend. Some individual unionists did particpate in the Forum however as the Forum sought submissions from the general public.

One of the principle conclusions from the New Ireland Forum's report published on May 2nd, 1984, was as follows:

"Among the fundamental realities the Forum has identified is the desire of nationalists for a united Ireland in the form of a sovereign, independent Irish state to be achieved peacefully and by consent."

The New Ireland Forum recognized the distinctive unionist identity on the island of Ireland. It also acknowledged the basis for unionist fears of a united Ireland and elaborated the need for a new Irish constitution should there ever be a unitary state. It went on to state that both the nationalist and unionist identities would be protected and preserved should there ever be a united Ireland.

The Forum's published report can be read in full here but I'd like to focus on Chapter 6 which deals with the idea of a Unitary State. The report reads:

6.1 A unitary state would embrace the island of Ireland governed as a single unit under one government and one parliament elected by all the people of the island. It would seek to unite in agreement the two major identities and traditions in Ireland. The democratic basis of a unitary state in Ireland has always existed in modern times. Historically up to 1922 Ireland was governed as a single unit and prior to the Act of Union in 1801 was constitutionally a separate and theoretically equal kingdom. Such a state would represent a constitutional change of such magnitude as to require a new constitution that would be non-denominational. This constitution could only be formulated at an all-round constitutional conference convened by the British and Irish Governments. Such a constitution would contain clauses which would guarantee civil and religious liberties to all the citizens of the state on a basis that would entail no alteration nor diminution of the provisions in respect of civil and religious liberties which apply at present to the citizens of Northern Ireland. These guarantees could not subsequently be changed, except in accordance with special procedures.

6.2 The rights of all citizens would be guaranteed in the constitution. Reinforcing guarantees would incorporate in the constitution the clauses of the European Convention on Human Rights with a right of access to the European Court of Human Rights.

6.3 In a unitary state, there would be a single legal and judicial system throughout the island. The study by Professors Boyle and Greer, The Legal Systems, North and South shows that there would be no significant technical obstacle to the creation of a unified legal system.

6.4 Political and administrative arrangements in a unitary state would be devised to ensure that unionists would not be denied power or influence in a state where nationalists would be in a majority. For example, provision could be made for weighted majorities in the Parliament in regard to legislation effecting changes in provisions on issues agreed to be fundamental at the establishment of the new state. In the Senate unionists could be guaranteed a minimum number of seats. The powers of the Senate could include effective blocking powers in regard to the issues agreed to be fundamental. Mechanisms for ensuring full Northern participation in an integrated Irish civil service would have to be devised.

6.5 A unitary state would have a single police service recruited from the whole island so designed that both nationalists and unionists could identify with it on the basis of political consensus.

6.6 A redefined relationship between Britain and Ireland would take account of the unionist sense of Britishness. In a unitary state, persons in Ireland, North and South, who at present hold British citizenship would continue to have such citizenship and could pass it on to their children without prejudice to the status of Irish citizenship which they would automatically acquire. The state could develop structures, relationships and associations with Britain which could include an Irish-British Council with intergovernmental and interparliamentary structures which would acknowledge the unique relationship between Ireland and Britain and which would provide expression of the long-established connections which unionists have with Britain.

6.7 All the cultural traditions in Ireland, North and South, would be guaranteed full expression and encouragement. The educational system would reflect the two main traditions on the island. The Irish language and culture would continue to be fostered by the state, and would be made more accessible to everyone in Ireland without any compulsion or imposition on any section.

6.8 A unitary state achieved by agreement between the nationalist and unionist traditions would for the first time allow full participation by all traditions in the affairs of the island. This would require a general and more explicit acknowledgement of a broader and more comprehensive Irish identity. A unitary state would promote administrative and economic efficiency in the island by ending duplication and separate planning and investment programmes and by facilitating integrated promotion of investment, exports and tourism. Natural resources, oil, gas and minerals will be developed for the benefit of all the people of Ireland and could make a significant contribution to securing the economic basis of the state. With no scope for conflicts of jurisdiction and with single taxation and currency systems, the implementation of an integrated economic policy suitable to the largely similar needs of the economies, North and South, would be facilitated, with consequent benefit. Integrated economic policies would ensure a united voice in advancing vital interests of both parts of Ireland, especially in the European Community, within which both North and South have common interests in areas such as agriculture and regional policy which diverge from the interests of Britain.

It is clear from reading the above report that the sensible ideas proposed by the New Ireland Forum are as relevant now as they were back then.

Indeed the Forum's conclusions are so relevant to Irish people today that I myself would not object to the idea of holding another New Ireland Forum.

It is abundantly clear that the division of the national territory remains the biggest problem facing both parts of the island of Ireland. It is a problem that will not ease with the passage of time.

The only way the evils of Partition can be successfully dealt with is through the reunification of the national territory.

The entity known as Northern Ireland was borne out of sectarianism and thus it is not surprising that its legacy has been pure, unadulterated sectarianism.

How can people be expected to live together in harmony when they are living in a construct that was designed to encourage division and segregation?

Since the New Ireland Forum in 1983, the Irish Republic has become more and more culturally diverse and the 26-county State has become successful. In contrast, the sectarian 6-county polity remains stagnant.

It is time unionists realised that there is no longer any valid reason for them to keep the Irish people divided.

It is time for us to reunite.

I was impressed with this article in the Irish News by Patrick Murphy who suggests that power-sharing in NI is an impractical form of government and that NI is ungovernable from within.

Commenting on power-sharing being impractical, Murphy writes:

"A coalition government is challenged by an opposition. Under power-sharing, almost everyone is in a government party (even David Ervine) and there is no formal opposition party. Thus opposition to a specific government policy can come only from within that same government. It may be democracy but not as the rest of the world understands the concept."

Murphy then goes on to state that NI is ungovernable from within based on the fact that the system, rather than promoting a system of power-sharing, in actual fact promotes a system of power-partitioning:

"The problem is reflected in our assembly's hypocrisy. On their first day back members stood for a minute's silence for Michael McIlveen. He was a victim of sectarian tensions between those who wear Celtic shirts and those who wear Rangers shirts (while sporting the name of the same brewery on both).

"Members then signed in and, under the rules of the assembly, they were required to register, not by political party but by their soccer shirts – nationalist, unionist or other. Like all hypocrisy, it was both galling and sad.

"The British government has now officially recognised the partitioning of power by establishing seven new district councils, which will move us from local government to local ghettoes. Having misinterpreted our history, the Good Friday Agreement is now seeking refuge in our geography.

"In the meantime events at Stormont continue. In terms of normal politics they appear to represent little more than the incompetent in pursuit of the impossible."

I must say I find it difficult to argue with the bleak view of events portrayed by Mr Murphy and I feel he makes a compelling argument. Can the North's political parties make the institutions set up under the Good Friday Agreement work, or are those institutions part of the problem in that they consolidate the sectarian politics that plague the North?

I believe that November will arrive without the North's parties reaching a settlement. 'Joint Stewardship', whatever that will involve, seems more and more inevitable as the weeks drag on.

The Irish and British governments are trying to get the North's political parties to unite together but it appears they are are more divided than ever.

Are we witnessing, as Mr Murphy infers, politics "in pursuit of the impossible"?

I came across this letter in the Belfast Telegraph by Johnny Andrews of the Ulster Unionist Party (pictured left) who attempts to justify the recent hypocritical decision by Reg Empey and the Ulster Unionists to reach out to the Progressive Unionist party, the political wing of the UVF.

Andrews writes:

"In response to John Sutherland (Writeback, May 23), the UUP's tactical decision to ally with David Ervine in the Assembly is entirely compatible with reaching out to pro-Union Catholic voters. This twin strategy is radical but logical and consistent with the new Ulster Unionist vision of inclusivity and tolerance in a secular society; the main potential beneficiaries are nationalists from reduced sectarian conflict. This policy shows loyalists they can come in from the cold and engage.

"Until we recognise that maintaining the Union means making Northern Ireland work we are consigning our children to under achievement, especially in deprived loyalist communities.

"The UUP is taking a lead and engaging with the PUP, showing there is an alternative. While some within unionism understandably may find this strategy uncomfortable and may wrestle with their conscience on this issue, politicians have a duty to engage. This strategy in no way condones the atrocities perpetrated by the UVF; the emphasis remains to see decommissioning of paramilitarism. David Ervine and others in the PUP represent a constructive voice within loyalism through their attempts to change mindsets away from criminality, build a shared future and make Northern Ireland work and be at ease with itself."

Johnny Andrews, Ulster Unionist Party

It's funny to think that the Ulster Unionists once condemned John Hume for his strategy of reaching out to Sinn Féin only for them to go and do the very same thing with regard to the UVF.

What's more pathetic about the Ulster Unionist's position however is that, according to reports, the Ulster Unionists actually contacted other political figures before they turned to Ervine in their silly quest to garner more power and influence for unionism.

Thus it's hard to take seriously the words of people like Mr Andrews who are trying to spin this as some great endeavour on the part of Reg Empey to put a stop to loyalist terrorism when in reality, Empey has found himself in the unenviable position of having to rely on loyalist paramilitary figures to justify his party's political greed.

One wonders if Reg Empey will soon come to rue the day that he got into bed with the PUP.

Here is a disgusting story which typifies why the EU poses such a dangerous threat to Irish sovereignty as well as the sovereignty of other European nation-states.

European judges will rule tomorrow on the legality of a decision by the Irish government to complain to the United Nations about the Sellafield nuclear plant. Can you believe this?

The Government launched UN action in 2001 over marine pollution from the site, on the Irish Sea coast of Britain in Cumbria and a UN Tribunal responded with recommendations for helping solve the long-running and bitter Anglo-Irish dispute, however the European Commission went to court accusing Ireland of breaching rules obliging member states to keep disputes involving EU law within EU jurisdiction.

An Advocate-General at the European Court of Justice has already backed the Commission’s case that the environmental conflict over Sellafield should be tackled within the EU.

Lawyers for the Irish Government argued that Dublin was right to turn to the UN, because the case against the UK concerned the alleged flouting by the Sellafield plant’s operators of marine environmental protection obligations under the UN Tribunal on the Law of the Sea.

The Tribunal itself concluded that the dispute was soley based on UN requirements, even recommending "provisional measures" to resolve the problem, including further exchanges of information between the UK and Ireland, the monitoring of potential risks for the Irish Sea and pollution prevention measures.

But the Commission said environmental protection was an area of joint EU legal responsibility and that Ireland should not have asked a UN body to interpret EU laws and declare Britain’s responsibilities under them.

Earlier this year the Advocate-General Miguel Poiares Maduro said Ireland had breached its "duty of cooperation" under EU law by invoking UN dispute settlement procedures, without consulting Brussels.

This is disgraceful. Essentially Ireland is being castigated for not going to the EU to solve a problem.

Well here's my thoughts - why the bloody hell should we?

I must have missed the referendum where the people of this country signed away our sovereignty and declared the European Union to be Ireland's masters.

If the Irish government had any backbone they would tell the EU to get stuffed.

And people wonder why I am not enamoured with the European Union? I've heard all the arguments, "Oh they have done so much for us", "Oh we owe them a debt of gratitude blah, blah, blah".

Bullshit. This is the real face of the European Union. It is an expansionist project whose ultimate aim is to override the sovereignty of nation-states and to make itself all-powerful.

It is a force of evil and it must not be allowed to destroy Irish independence.

One of the big stories doing the rounds right now concerns the claims made by former British army intelligence officer Martin Ingram that Sinn Fein’s chief negotiator and former Provisional IRA chief-of-staff, Martin McGuinness is a British spy.

The claims have been circulated in a number of sunday newspapers. As the Sunday Times reports:

"All the newspaper allegations, however, were based on the transcript of an alleged conversation between an MI6 handler and an agent known as “J118”. The provenance of the transcript document was explained by only one newspaper, the Sunday Tribune, which said that the intelligence officer, who uses the pseudonym Martin Ingram, was “circulating” it.

"The document records a brief conversation which, according to Mr Ingram, alludes to an imminent Provisional IRA attack, which took place on the Coshquin checkpoint on the Irish border between Londonderry and Donegal on October 24, 1990.

"Five soldiers and Patsy Gillespie, a civilian who was forced to drive a van containing a bomb, died in the explosion. According to the reports, the MI6 agent encouraged his handler to “push this along as quickly as possible”.

"Mr Ingram told the Sunday World: “It has been confirmed to me that J118 is Martin McGuinness. The most significant thing for me . . . is the fact that McGuinness’s handler is the driving force between the human bomb campaign.”

"Mr McGuinness refused to comment on the reports yesterday, but a Sinn Fein spokesman dismissed them out of hand:

"We have heard this all before.

"It is rubbish. It is nonsense. Anybody with half a wit will treat it with the contempt it rightly deserves."

"Two years ago Mr Ingram claimed that Freddie Scapp- aticci, a Belfast republican, had been an army agent at the highest levels within the IRA who was codenamed Stakeknife. Mr Scappaticci denied the allegation before fleeing his home in the west of the city."

This is no doubt an explosive claim (no pun intended) but can it be taken seriously? I'm not so sure. The boys over at Balrog certainly don't think so.

With that being said, no one would have predicted that Denis Donaldson was a British spy and yet it transpired that he had been one for a number of years. There have been widespread claims since then that there is at least one other senior figure within Sinn Féin who has been secretly working for the British.

To be honest I wouldn't have trouble believing that...but Martin McGuinness? I'm not sure about that.

My gut feeling on this is that it's a lie or at least a claim based on misinformation, but who knows?

What do you think?

I came across an interesting piece in the Sunday Business Post by Adam Maguire which puts forth the view that the timing of British Prime Minister Tony Blair stepping aside for Gordon Brown will be largely determined on how events shape up in the north of Ireland in the coming months.

The article can be read here.

Your thoughts?

I'm pleased to see that support for the current government is waning, according to the latest polls.

The survey, carried out by Red C Marketing for the Sunday Business Post, shows that if an election took place now, Fine Gael and Labour would have enough support to form a Government.

Support for both Fianna Fáil and the PDs is down, with their combined total now at 38 points.

On the other hand there is good news for the alternative coalition as the combined Fine Gael and Labour support has reached 40%, which would give them enough votes to take power if a General Election was called now.

Commenting on the poll's results, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said the Government's showing in the latest opinion poll is not where it wants to be while Junior Minister Tom Parlon admitted that the Government needs to focus on the positives to win back support:

"It’s clearly a wake-up call, and I’m sure it means that we’re going to have a much more competitive election."

As someone who favours a change of government, I am pleased with recent polls which have shown dissatisfaction with the status quo.

The onus is now on Fianna Fáil and the PDs to get their act together and convince the Irish people that they deserve another term whilst Fine Gael and Labour, as well as the rest, need to convince the electorate that they can offer a better alternative.

If anything, this is healthy for Irish democracy and I look forward to the next 12 months which will no doubt prove most intriguing.

Welcome to a new interview feature on United Irelander called Weekend Words which will be more light-hearted in nature than my Words on Wednesday political interviews and which will see me interview non-political, popular figures from Irish society.

Taking my questions this weekend is RTE 2fm presenter Rick O'Shea.

I'd like to thank Rick for agreeing to take my questions. On another note, since this interview has been conducted, Rick has landed a new 6pm-9pm timeslot on 2fm so congratulations to him on that. With that being said, let's begin:

You have your own blog called The Half-Arsed Blog of RTE 2FM's Rick O'Shea. Why do you blog and do you see blogging growing in popularity here in Ireland?

I suppose I blogged initially because I've always been a frustrated writer. I've never been offered anything like my own column in a newspaper which is where the likes of us media types usually let off steam and I really wasn't tech savvy enough to run my own website but when I saw how simple the whole blogspot deely was I thought it was the perfect time to give it a try.

It also coincided with me starting the breakfast show with Ruth Scott and there wasn't an Irish radio show with a blog of its own at the time. I'm always keen to be in at the start of new technology things that can be incorporated into the show and so here we are!

You were the host for the inaugural Irish Blog Awards earlier this year. What did you make of the event?

Brilliant, just brilliant. It was so well organised and put together and yet so unlike a "real" awards ceremony that it was a joy to be part of. We started an hour late because everyone was just enjoying themselves at the bar so much! To get to meet up with people I'd only read up until then and put faces to names was great too. Can't wait for next year's one - that is if Damien has me back :-)

What are some of your favourite blogs?

I don't get to read them as much as I like so I tend to read in bursts weeks apart but I greatly enjoy (for very different reasons) Disillusioned Lefty, In Fact, Ah, Conforming Monkey (when he actually arses himself to post!), Sinead Gleeson and Twenty Major, of course... Ray Foley is also great when he chooses to be :-)

You present a music show Monday-Thursday from 10 to midnight on 2FM. How did you get involved with 2FM and radio work in the first place?

Wow. Ehm, a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.... It was in the summer between school and college really ('91 for those who remember the old century). Started on hospital radio, got involved in the UCD station when I started there and weaved and dodged from East Coast (Wicklow) to Atlantic 252 to FM104 before I ended up here in June 2001. It's all very boring really... I suppose I ended up in radio because it was something I could somehow do well and the hours seemed good...

What are the most important things you've learned from your time on the radio?

Don't panic, don't get stressed in the short term, try to connect with people as much as you can both in person and on the show and always play like you're about to be sold...

Tell us a bit about your own taste in music. What do you like and what do you dislike?

I love it all, a cliché but, if you see my music collection, true. Everything from Gnarls Barkley to Noel Coward, Johnny Cash to Arctic Monkeys, Chet Baker, Jack Johnson, Hard-Fi, Dylan, The Who, The Stones, Snow Patrol, Public Enemy, The Beastie Boys, The Chili Peppers, Nina Simone, Christy Moore... It might be easier for me to list what I don't have and like at home.

What I don't like? Anyone from a reality TV series, most cheesy cheap dance, almost anything that gets played to death on the radio...

What's the strangest thing that's happened to while you've been presenting your show on the radio?

The night Coolio finished his interview with me, asked me where he could find a wrench and proceeded to try and "borrow" (his words) the TV mounted on the studio wall... Apparently his Playstation wasn't compatible with the one in the hotel...

What are your thoughts on politics? Does it interest you at all?

Intensely. To be fair it's mostly global or US politics that really takes my interest. I've read my own fair share of Chomsky, John Pilger, Greg Palast, Gore Vidal's political stuff, Bob Fisk, Christopher Hitchens through to Al Franken and Michael Moore... The situation in the US has captivated me in recent years as much as anyone else. I get my Irish fix every day from the Indo and my worldview from The Guardian.

I was in the European Parliament in Brussels recently though as part of my work as patron of Brainwave - The Irish Epilepsy Association (http://ricksbreakfastblog.blogspot.com/2006/04/most-extraordinary-day-of-my-life.html) and was suitably awed by what I saw. I'm a true believer that the European project is a genuine force for good in the world most of the time...

At home I've never had a party allegiance, I almost always find someone from a smaller party whose views and mine match somewhere. I do always vote though whether I like the looks of anyone or not. Call me a cynic but I'm always immediately suspicious of anyone who would choose to enter politics for a living!

What do you make of the 98FM fugitive that 98FM have recently revived? Do you think it's a good concept?

I think it worked wonderfully first time around and was a great example of one of those promotions that starts in the station and all of a sudden reaches a critical tipping point and then takes on a life of its own in the real world. I think, like Big Brother, its effectiveness will diminish the more often you do it...

If you had to be stranded on a desert island and were only allowed take three things with you, what would you take and why?

Wow. I've always wanted to be asked this one! My Moleskine notebook would be one. I'm in the initial notetaking stage for a novel I'm writing so I could keep myself endlessly occupied. To read Orwell's 1984, the one I keep coming back to as the world becomes more and more like Airstrip One...

And to finish, a bottomless bottle of Jameson.

I understand you're a Liverpool fan. What did you make of the FA Cup final?

A long suffering one at that! I've been a red since I was too little to know what football really was but it's great to see us finally with a manager and the bones of a squad that can win trophies on a regular basis again.

The cup final itself reaffirmed my view though of the real potential "all-time" greatness of Steven Gerrard. He created one, scored two (one while hobbling at the end of normal time) and his penalty in the shootout. On his day there are few I'd rather have in midfield. It convinced me I was right though to think that Djibril Cissé's one to keep even with his problems this season and that Reina was a brilliant, brilliant buy.

I think Morientes has to be the one to go during the summer [well predicted! - Ed.] and that we need another world class midfielder...

To my eternal shame I didn't see the game live as I was on the train down to work down south but as I said on my own blog, "I wouldn't have missed the experience of having my 8 year old commentate on the penalty shootout down the phone as the train pulled into Cork for anything".

What would you say to anyone reading now who is thinking about a career in radio?

Think hard, I suppose. I know it appeals to a lot of people because it appears to be an easy enough career and sure all you have to do is talk and play a few cds here and there but ponder this - even out of everyone presenting in radio in Ireland maybe only the top 10% are earning "decent" money. Below them are 90% many of whom struggle to pay the bills on a regular basis; we've all been there. There's almost no security in the job - one bad book and you can be out.

But... If it's your passion pursue it to the best of your ability but know when to quit and always have a backup plan. Mine is winning Euromillions. Part of me has always wished I'd done what I wanted to at 16 and become an accountant :-)

Finally I'd like to play a small round of word association. I'm sure you know what it entails. Basically just outline what word comes into your head when you hear the following names:

Ryan Tubridy - Star
Dave Fanning - Legend
Marty Whelan - Comeback
Roy Keane - Inspiration
Rick O'Shea - Paycheck

Thanks again for agreeing to be interviewed, Rick. I appreciate it.

My pleasure :-)

This Wednesday I put my questions to the always entertaining, incomparable Senator David Norris.

Keep clicking in to United Irelander for your up close and personal look at Irish society.

I'm pleased to see this issue is not going away and that FIFA are being tackled by the Irish Government over their disgraceful insistence that NI players carry British passports.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern (pictured left looking pissed off) has said NI players should be able to travel on Irish passports if they want but FIFA have written to the Irish Football Association to say its officials cannot determine whether footballers with Irish passports can play for NI.

That's right - they can't figure out that players from Northern IRELAND might actually have IRISH passports.

Apparently the average FIFA official has the brain capacity of Father Dougal Maguire.

Previously, it had been acceptable for NI players to have a British or Irish passport and it was hoped this policy would continue. The SDLP and Sinn Féin have pointed out that the Good Friday Agreement recognised that all people born in NI could opt for British or Irish citizenship.

FIFA have remained stubborn in their stupidity however as a statement from football's governing body highlighted:

"FIFA sees no alternative but to require players to hold the passport of the national association they are seeking to represent in order to allow the match commissioner to verify their eligibility".

"The fact that a player holds an Irish Republic passport does not demonstrate conclusively that he or she is eligible to play for Northern Ireland."

An Irish passport doesn't say it's a passport of the 'Irish Republic' so it's not as complex as these morons are making it out to be. The passport states quite clearly 'Ireland' on it. Why is this so hard to figure out for these simpletons?



A FIFA official's worst nightmare


As Dermot Ahern rightly pointed out, "from a travelling point of view if a player wishes as he is entitled to under the Good Friday Agreement to produce an Irish passport, in my view that should be accepted at the receiving country."

This view was shared by Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness:

"This is a human right, a national right for Irish citizens to carry an Irish passport.

"If the logic of this ruling was to be followed through by other sporting organisations it could have far reaching ramifications for sport in all of Ireland."

The SDLP's Pat Ramsay echoed these sentiments:

"It is clear that the Irish government and the IFA must take a stand against what is essentially the sporting marginalisation of half the community in the north.

"This decision is discriminatory, it is damaging, and in the context of the Good Friday Agreement, it is illegal."

Well said. I completely agree with the views above. How on earth can FIFA be so dense about this matter? They can host global football tournaments yet they can't get their heads around the notion that Irish players might actually be in possession of Irish passports?

If you want to articulate your displeasure with FIFA over this matter and challenge them over their incredible idiocy, do what I did and send them an email at contact@fifa.org.

Register your disgust and let these donkeys know how you feel.

This made me laugh.

A website called 'Save Lives in May' has forecast a giant tsunami hitting Atlantic Coasts...yesterday.

According to the site's Eric Julien:

"I have received information psychically, which is corroborated by scientific data, according to which on May 25, 2006 a giant tsunami will occur in the Atlantic Ocean, brought about by the impact of a comet fragment which will provoke the eruption of under-sea volcanoes. Waves up to 200 m high will reach coastlines located above and below the Tropic of Cancer. However, all of the countries bordering the Atlantic will be affected to greater or lesser destructive and deadly levels. This site is dedicated to life, to civic responsibility and to information. There is still time to save lives. Thanks for participating in the world-wide alert!"

Hmm. Now my country is pretty close to the Atlantic Ocean and it seems to be still standing as I write this!

I loved this bit Mr Julien wrote from yesterday:

"Beginning with the moment when you will have finished reading this fourth and last article on May 25 2006, the countdown will be merciless. Every minute lost not warning others will bring about thousands of deaths. Would these not be as many crimes? Are we not dealing here with crimes against humanity? The time might come to pass when we might have to bring suit against those legally at fault."

I take it that lawsuit has been put on hold then?

"The coming ordeal is that of the entire human fraternity. You will see more fear, selfishness and violence than ever before."

Come to think of it my milkman popped by earlier and he did seem more brusque than usual.

"All will be clamoring for help, be it psychological, medical or logistical."

Nah, just you mate.

You can just picture this guy last night praying for a catastrophe, can't you? Granted there was a bit of rain last night but that's it!

Rest easy ladies and gents. All is well. Go out for a few pints tonight as well if you want. But if you see a comet fly by, run for the hills!

Earlier on I thought this Slugger site was some sort of parody of the proper Slugger site but it seems the boys at Slugger are having some technical problems on their real site here.

According to Mick Fealty:

"For all our awards and multiple expressions of goodwill, we cannot continue our high levels of service without backing from a serious software player.

"Money is not the issue (though donations always welcome) : service is. There is an opportunity for an ambitous, future curious company to team up with Slugger and not simply get us back to where we were, but to help us push the boundaries of Web 2.0 in Northern Ireland."

I can't say I agree with that. What does the service matter? Surely it's the content of the site that is what's important? I've used Blogger since I started blogging. I have intelligent, articulate and regular readers from all sides of the political divide. I'm getting more hits and comments than ever before and I've secured interviews with such notable figures as the Polish Ambassador Witold Sobkow, Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte and Senator David Norris as well as a host of other politicians.

Why can't Slugger just stick to Blogger? They can still produce the same excellent content and in Pete Baker they have in my view one of the best bloggers around.

Still, good luck to Slugger in ironing out their problems.

Just read this in The Times. This is why I don't root for England and it's a classic example in my opinion of why the English do not deserve support for the 2006 World Cup:

"The Football Association may be tempting fate by planning an England World Cup victory parade that will culminate in tea with the Queen at Buckingham Palace. The Times has learnt that the Queen, after overtures from the FA, will make time in her diary for a reception should David Beckham return with an all-conquering team after the final on July 9.

"Ignoring superstition, the FA has for weeks had officials working full-time on the logistics of an open-top bus drive through Central London, using the same route as the victorious England rugby union team, whose World Cup heroics in Australia in 2003 brought one million people on to the streets of the capital.

"The FA, which has been liaising with the police and Westminster Council over road closures, estimates that that figure would be more than doubled if England’s footballers become champions of the world for the first time since 1966. July 11 has been pencilled in for the celebration.

"More than 75,000 turned up at Luton airport in 1990 to greet the England team managed by Sir Bobby Robson when they returned from Italy after losing on penalties in the semi-finals against West Germany. If England prevail in Berlin this summer, the sheer size of the victory operation is one of the reasons why some of Tony Blair’s advisers want him to make the day a public holiday, but not to announce it until after the trophy is held aloft by Beckham, the captain.

"“We would not want to risk our chances by doing anything which sounds too presumptuous beforehand," one source said.

The holiday would also apply to Scotland, even though some fans there may be tempted to support whoever England are playing against.

Because he wants to be the next Prime Minister and will need the support of millions in England to fulfil that ambition, Gordon Brown, the Chancellor, has declared that he wants England to win the World Cup.

“Gordon would insist the holiday applied in Scotland,” a source close to the Chancellor, who revealed at the weekend that one of his best football memories was the goal that Paul Gascoigne scored for England against Scotland in Euro 96, said.

The Queen would not be the only member of the Royal Family to give the team the seal of approval of the House of Windsor. Prince William, the president of the FA and an ardent Aston Villa fan, will attend a match early in the competition. If England reach the final, plans are being made — subject to his schedule at Sandhurst — for him to be in Germany for the match.

Blair and Brown — and a clutch of Ministers with an eye on their majorities — may be on the same flight as the Prince, whose brother, Harry, may also seek a pass-out from Army duties. Even the Prince of Wales, who is more at home on the polo pitch than the football field, would do his best to attend.

The parade, which would involve Marble Arch, Regent Street, Haymarket and Trafalgar Square, could not be in starker contrast to 1966. Then, a few thousand gathered for an impromptu parade as the coach carrying the team returned along Edgware Road. Harold Wilson, the Prime Minister at the time, popped over to their hotel to offer a few words of congratulation.

The FA has decided to be low-key in public about the detailed planning going on behind the scenes, mindful of what happened to Arsenal last week. Islington Council put up signs giving details of a victory parade before the Champions League final against Barcelona, only for Arsenal to lose 2-1.

Adrian Bevington, the director of communications at the FA, said:

"We have no comment to make on any such plans. Our priority is to achieve success on the pitch in Germany. We certainly would not want to start tempting fate discussing any plans we may or may not have."

"There is no such hesitation by Germany. The host nation is so confident of success that the German football federation has booked hotel rooms in Berlin for use after the final."

Ugh! Sickening arrogance!

I love the line about not wanting to be "too presumptuous" yet they are already planning victory parades, state visits and pencilling in public holidays!

I'm going to give my support this year to Ireland's good friends the Aussies and I hope they have a great tournament. I hope England, Germany and the rest of the cocky countries are shown the door early!

This is an outrage.

FIFA, the world's governing football body, have ruled that NI players must hold British passports if they are to represent the team.

Despite representations made to FIFA by Irish Foreign Affairs minister Dermot Ahern, the ruling means players holding only Irish passports would not be able to turn out for Lawrie Sanchez's side, who are currently on tour in America.

FIFA's stupid stance is at odds with the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, which granted the people of Ireland's north the right to dual Irish and British nationality.

FIFA's ruling is an attempt to clear up problems for match commissioners (who apparently have the brain capacity of a donkey's arse), who have to establish the nationality of participants.

The Irish Football Association (IFA) today released a statement detailing the clarification they have received from FIFA "in the light of the rather exceptional circumstances that exist in Northern Ireland":

"FIFA sees no alternative but to require players to hold the passport of the national association they are seeking to represent in order to allow the match commissioner to verify their eligibility.".

"The fact that a player holds an Irish Republic passport does not demonstrate conclusively, that he or she is eligible to play for Northern Ireland."

FIFA are idiots then.

Are we seriously supposed to believe that FIFA are so dense that they can't comprehend the fact that people from Northern IRELAND might actually have IRISH passports?

There's something very dodgy about this. I'm sure the IFA could have done a better job in clarifying this matter for FIFA. I imagine secretly, the IFA are happy about this ruling.

I have previously urged all nationalist players to boycott the NI team on the grounds that it does not cater to the nationalist community whatsoever. This ruling by FIFA vindicates this belief of mine.

And so much for the guff we here about the GAA not being representative towards unionists. At least they don't require unionists to abandon their citizenship rights!

This is a slap in the face towards Irish nationalists, make no mistake about it. Shame on those involved.

On the left we have "Jacqui" who we're told is a real person (snigger), whilst on the right we have Jo who is genuinely a real person...I think.

Separated at birth? Sure looks like it! Is it just me or does this seem to be the same person but with a different hair colour?

Apparently not though because on "Jacqui's" site, on this thread, "Jacqui" states:

"Some people thought I was Jo with dyed hair." - 4:40am

Um, maybe because they have sense? And eyes? Jo on the thread in question then has a conversation with "Jacqui" and if you observe the comments from "Jacqui" it's easy to see that it is really Jo:

"This is the flirt page I think lol"

Sure Jo, I mean er "Jacqui"!

The poor girl is talking to herself and some of her naive readers have been taken in by this sad charade that "Jacqui" is actually a real person.

The sensible readers here on United Irelander concluded a long time ago that Jo was a loon and that she was pulling the wool over other people's eyes.

It's a shame that some people are so naive to have gone and fallen for Psych-Jo's little games.

Separated at birth? No. Jo is Jacqui!

Here's some fascinating footage from the funeral cortège of Irish Republican hero Michael Collins. It's set to the song used in the Michael Collins movie but thankfully there are no silly quotes from Tim Pat Coogan this time!

It's an interesting glimpse into the past although I found the CIRA support at the end of the clip disappointing to say the least. Nonetheless, it's worth a look:

Fact: The average chocolate bar has 8 insects' legs in it.

Ugh! I never knew that. I'll still eat them though!

I think unionism is in its death throes.

If you watched on Monday the reaction from the DUP to the failed attempt to elect a First and Deputy First Minister to the North's Assembly, you would have found yourself shaking your head at how low unionism has sunk.

As I sat there observing the shrewd and astute Peter Robinson standing beside the snarling, incoherent Ian Paisley, it dawned on me that this long-term bigot and his party are pretty much all unionism has to show for itself now.

After all, as Paisley himself pointed out, the Ulster Unionists have effectively sold their soul by entering into an alliance with the Progressive Unionist Party, the political wing of the UVF, a paramilitary who have NOT decommissioned, who have NOT upheld a ceasefire and who have NOT shown a willingness to end their campaign of violence. It's now reached the farcical stage where Ian Paisley is now claiming he can't go into government with the UUP either because of their links to terrorists.

As if that wasn't bad enough, unionism has also been rocked by the revelations that have emerged in relation to the Orange Order who according to former members such as Rev Kennaway and David Trimble, were protecting loyalist terrorists and turning a blind eye to sectarian murders. Trimble went so far as to claim the Orange Order conspired to damage the peace process. Infighting, ignorance and intransigence characterises modern-day unionism and is heading unionism on the road to oblivion. But should we mourn the loss of the unionist ideology?

No, we should not. The reality is that unionism is not an ideology that has a glorious foundation. In fact, here in the 21st century, unionism's only function is to continue Partition - which was something unionist hero Edward Carson himself opposed. Unionism's original purpose was not borne out of ethnic aspirations or self-determination, it was borne out of religious bigotry and the attempt at political dominance. In other words, the continuation of the Protestant Ascendancy. Home Rule was bad because it was "Rome Rule".

If one goes back to the days of the Plantations, there was always a fear from the settlers that the native population would rise up in response to having their land seized from them and given to English and Scottish planters. This was to eventually occur in 1641 when many Protestants were brutally massacred by Catholics. The response by the Protestant settlers was to keep the natives in check and the Protestant Ascendancy soon became dominant.

In the latter half of the 18th century, it is fascinating to see how the Protestants, secure in their power, began to take an interest in Gaelic antiquity through groups like the Patriots and how they began to develop and strengthen the idea of a distinct Irish national consciousness. I wrote back in February about the 1782 Dungannon Convention which saw Ulster Volunteers in Dungannon, the majority Protestant, trying to ensure that Ireland was granted legislative independence which eventually occurred, abeit briefly, through 'Grattan's parliament'. By 1782 there were 40,000 enlisted in the Volunteers and half of them were from Ulster. It's worth remembering though that Catholics didn't have the right to vote or take a seat in parliament at this point in time.

Following the United Irish rebellion however, orchestrated mainly by Presbyterians who were themselves discriminated against, we then see a shift as Protestants begin to embrace the idea of Union whereas Catholics continue the idea of a distinct Irish national consciousness. We then see the Irish people again demanding legislative independence and asking for Home Rule yet this time it is mainly the Protestant people who thwart these efforts. Why? Because they see the benefit of remaining in the Union and being able to ensure that Catholics, who were the majority in Ireland, didn't come to dominate political matters. Thus, unionism is born and efforts are made to ensure that the 'Papists' don't get their own parliament in Dublin.

It's worth pointing out too that unionists threatened Partition BEFORE Irish people demanded to leave the UK, which began to seriously occur after the 1916 Rising. Thus, we must counter revisionist efforts to portray unionism as an attempt to remain in the UK. The fact is Home Rule would have left Ireland within the UK and posed no threat to Britishness in Ireland. Furthermore, prior to the Union itself, it was the Protestants who could be regarded in the strictest sense of the word as 'nationalists' since they were at the forefront in developing the Irish national identity. I would thus argue that the polarization in the north of nationalists and unionists is a foolish pursuit in light of the historical facts.

There is no glory attached to unionism. It is built on efforts to promote dominance of one religion over another. In this day and age, such sectarian attitudes are unnecessary. The Irish Republic today has people of many faiths and colours and there is no prospect of unionist people being discriminated against in a United Ireland, regardless of their religion.

Modern-day unionists know this. That is why we are seeing unionism imploding dramatically. The siege mentality has lasted a remarkably long time but the world at large has had an external influence upon the unionist mindset. Ireland's south has evolved and become financially strong and multicultural, Britain too has become multicultural and has distanced itself from the north of Ireland.

As a result of this, we now witness unionists desperately trying to grab hold of something to give the unionist ideology meaning. Unfortunately for them, due to the IRA removing themselves from the political equation last year, this trump card of unionism has been lost and the cards that unionism is dealing with at this point in time are not doing any good whatsoever.

Ireland will be united and it will be united in the near future. Unionists need to ask themselves if there is any logical reason why this should be something to fear. There is no room for religious or political discrimination in this day and age. Numerous nationalities have made the Irish Republic their home and have experienced few difficulties. In the future we will witness Polish-Irish, Romanian-Irish and Nigerian-Irish families living in the Republic so why couldn't the same be true of British-Irish people living in a United Irish Republic?

Is there a good reason for modern-day Protestants to maintain the division of the Irish nation that their ancestors worked so hard to promote and nurture?

Protestants have believed in an Irish national consciousness, Presbyterians have believed in an Irish Republic that caters to all faiths and Catholics have believed that they have a right to have a voice.

A United Irish republic is the culmination of all these wishes. Unionism's ultimate aim was for a sectarian state that ensured a Protestant ascendancy. That was not a laudable aim. The aim of those Protestants who believed in an Irish national identity was laudable, the aim of the Presbyterians who believed in an Irish Republic was laudable. The modern day Irish Republic is built upon these very principles. All of us now here in Ireland, Catholic, Protestant and Dissenter, can come together in a United Ireland and respect the noble and laudable aspects of our past.

Unionism is dying. I urge today's Protestants to finish it off.

Here's a story that highlights what a sorry shower we have in power right now.

The Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has been busy defending himself over the money he has spent on make-up to prepare himself for the Dáil's cameras.

Green Party TD John Gormley claimed that Mr Ahern was spending €480 a week on his personal vanity and accused him of decadence.

Mr Ahern countered that it had been the practice of all taoisigh to wear make-up since the televising of Dáil proceedings began in 1990.

Mr Gormley told the Taoiseach:

"Taoiseach, how do you expect the taxpayer, many of whom are lying on trolleys, to pay this exorbitant sum for your vanity?

"It’s extraordinary that you spend more money on make-up than any of the ladies in the Cabinet.

"What sort of priorities do you have when you’re heading around like the Queen of Drumcondra."

"On the 80th anniversary of the founding Fianna Fáil, what would your founder Eamon de Valera say about a Taoiseach who spends hundreds of euro every week on make-up."

He asked if Mr Ahern should be called the L’Oreal Taoiseach 'because he is worth it'." (Ha, nice one!)




I think I forgot my eyeliner



Responding to Mr Gormley, the Taoiseach replied:

"When Deputy Gormley is Taoiseach some day he will find in the Taoiseach’s department that there is a service provided by two people, two days a week.

"They’re paid the Siptu rates for the job. I don’t think that they should be fired to satisfy you." (Aw Bertie, you hero you)

"I understand that when you go to RTE, that you carefully go to the make-up room. You have never been known not to use make-up."

Mr Gormley asked if it was too much trouble to apply the make-up himself.

Gormley added: "The sum of €480 a week is extraordinary when we have people on trolleys. It amounts to nothing more than decadence."

First of all let me say that I'm pleased to see the politicians of this country tackling the issues that matter. Kudos! My faith in Irish politicians has been restored!

In all seriousness though, this is a ridiculous amount of money being spent on make-up by the Taoiseach. He doesn't seem to be a Taoiseach that spends much time in the Dáil anyway.

How many more hospital beds could have been provided for with this money? Guess it's more important for Bertie to have his nose powdered.

Sums up this Government rather well - all show, no substance.

Can you add a caption to this image to your left?

My effort can be read by rolling over the image.

Ireland 0 Chile 1

That's quite the scoreline. Bring back Brian Kerr! (Just kidding...for now)

I have to say Ireland were absolutely woeful. I wish it had been shown on RTE because I think the lads in the studio would have been very critical. I think a lot of the Irish players thought they were still on holiday.

Chile were good and Mark Gonzales of Liverpool looks like someone to watch out for, but Ireland were just rubbish.

I don't mind the team losing but when they lose like that it's frustrating.

I'll give Staunton the benefit of the doubt of course and I don't want him out of the job or anything but I hope we can expect better than that real soon...

Welcome to this week's Words on Wednesday feature here on United Irelander, a concept unique to the Irish blogosphere, which sees me interview various figures from all walks of political life.

Taking my questions this week is Green Party TD for Cork South Central Dan Boyle.

I'd like to thank Mr Boyle for kindly agreeing to be interviewed. With that being said, let's begin:

What initially attracted you to political life?

I have a Fianna Fáil family background which I reacted against, but my real entry to politics was through community and youth work.

You are a TD for Cork South Central. Talk us through a typical day in your life.

The only thing typical about my days is that no day is ever typical. There's many days that have elements that are similar, but no day is ever the same as another. I believe in accountability and on my web site I regularly update my diary and and have also recently introduced a blog. These give some sense of what my days are like.

You are the Green Party's spokesperson on Finance. How do you feel the Government has performed in this area?

This government has operated during very favourable circumstances, mainly due to international factors. That said the way public infrastructure spending has been allowed to go off the rails has been obscene. The real test of the economic credentials of a government is not how it performs during an economic boom but how it protects the economy during a recession. I have a fear that when the current economic indicators begin to go south, the policies this government has followed will mean that many in our society will be caught unprepared and will suffer needlessly because of the short sightedness of this government.

If you could change three things about Irish society, what would you change and why?

I would see myself more of a social green than an environmental green. I believe that how decisions are made, who gets to make decisions and who benefits from decisions that are made, are the essential questions that have to be asked and be repeatedly asked in a democracy.

The first thing I would work towards is a reform of local government to maximise participation and the number of decisions that can be made to allow people to have greater involvement in the making of decisions that affect their everyday lives.

The second area would be to devise a better system of reward and acknowledgement to those who volunteer and provide a level of social services that the State is unable or is unwilling to provide.

The third reform I would try to introduce is to include in legislation the index linking of social welfare payments and tax credits and bands, so that no future government can go play fast and loose with those without resources or living on low incomes.

What are your thoughts on a United Ireland?

I would like to see it happening but it would have to be an Ireland that is united in hearts and minds as well as territory.

What should be done to improve the situation in NI?

Northern Ireland has no economic viability in its own right. The huge British subsidy and transfer cannot and will not be sustained into the future. If a United Ireland is to be achieved in the near future there may be some comeback in the South about similar subsidies being given and the effect that may have on public expenditure and taxation. What needs to be done and done now is the creation and development of an All Island economy. Synergies and economies of scale could be achieved that increase wealth in the North and sustain wealth in the South.

Recently you were involved in efforts to amend the Irish constitution and ensure that "those not resident in the State of Ireland but citizens of the State of Ireland" could vote in Irish Presidential elections. Could you tell us a bit more about this and whether or not this proposal would allow Irish citizens from NI to finally have the opportunity to vote in Irish Presidential elections?

The recent Italian election allowed Italian citizens to vote for the election of members of the Upper House, the Senate. The Green Party succeeded in having Senators elected under this system. In the US, American citizens living abroad can vote in their Presidential elections. In a recent Private Members Bill I've had published I've said that Irish citizens living abroad and living in Northern Ireland can and should vote in elections for the Irish Presidency. I also sit on the Seanad Reform committee where I am arguing that seats in Seanad should be set aside for election by Irish citizens living abroad and in Northern Ireland.

In relation to Green issues, what are your thoughts on cheap air travel as a major contributor to global warming? Do we need to radically reduce the number of people flying in your view?

There has been a huge increase in air travel in recent years and it cannot be argued that this has been a major contributor to the increase in international greenhouse gas emissions. To deal directly with this issue will involve a heavy political price. It would probably be best dealt with at an agreed international level with a cross boundary aviation tax. With ever rising fuel costs in any case this period of seemingly cheap, but environmentally expensive air travel may not last that long.

Recently the Irish state celebrated the Easter Rising with a military parade in Dublin. What were your thoughts on the parade and what is your own view of the Easter Rising?

I don't feel that a military parade was the best way of honouring what 1916 represented. Much of what exists in the Proclamation could have been celebrated in other ways. I'm a pacifist by inclination but I do realise that in the 19th century and early 20th century, social change could often only often be achieved violently. Later in the 20th century Gandhi and Martin Luther King showed there were other, better ways, of achieving the same goals.

You are a member of the Committee on Dáil reform. There was anger recently at the perceived backtracking of the Taoiseach in regard to MPs from NI speaking in the Oireachtas. What are your thoughts on that issue? A good or bad idea?

Speaking rights yes, involvement in Oireachtas committees yes, but voting rights no. There are some constitutional difficulties here. Members of the Dáil need to be elected on the same day representing electorates of similar size. The Westminister cycle is out of sync with Leinster House, with House of Commons constituencies being larger and Stormont constituencies being much smaller than Dáil constituencies. I have already stated that I favour the direct election of Northern Ireland representatives to the Seanad.

What are your thoughts on the current conflict in Iraq right now and Ireland's position?

Iraq is a mess, and through the government allowing the use of Shannon Airport for troop movements, and the probable illegal action of 'rendition' flights, Ireland has become inextricably linked with this mess. I would like to see the largely US/British led multi-national force being replaced with a UN force comprised largely of soldiers from other midlle eastern countries.

An issue that unionists in the North such as the DUP have taken seriously is an issue that presumably your party takes very seriously too - plans to build a 125-metre chimney stack at the site of the Battle of the Boyne in County Meath. What are your thoughts on this issue and what will this mean for such a historically important area?

We oppose incineration because it is the wrong policy option. That it's proposed for a historically and culturally significant area is another reason to opppose its construction, but not the central reason. If we have incineration we cannot have effective waste reduction or recycling policies.

Where should Ireland be twenty years from now?

Going forward as a confident nation able to account for itself to all other nations, but also back to see if we can regain some of what we've lost - our sense of community and our sense of fairness. A more equal Ireland would be a more truly wealthy country.

On your site you mention how you were the first public representative in Cork to take to the Web and you take your site seriously. I have also interviewed your party colleague Ciarán Cuffe who has a website and blog that he takes seriously. Do you see websites and blogs playing an important role in politics here, as has happened in the US?

Yes I do. But only a minority of people still have access to computers in their homes, but it is becoming a significant minority. There are problems with the lack of broadband and the cost of internet use, but the Greens would work to overcome these difficulties.

What would you say to any Irish people reading now who aren't sure who to vote for in the next General Election?

I would encourage them to vote. If there is no party they can support then vote independent. If there is no independent that appeals then consider becoming a candidate. If becoming a candidate isn't feasible then spoil your vote, but at least participate.

Finally, I'd like to play a small round of word association. I'm sure you know what it entails. Basically just outline what word comes into your head when you hear the following names:

Bertie Ahern - Inscrutable
Michael McDowell - Spiteful
George W. Bush - Dangerous
Gerry Adams - Capable
Brian Cowen - Skilled
Mary McAleese - Over-extended
Trevor Sargent - Cute
Roy Keane - Hard
Padraig Pearse - Educator
Dan Boyle - Unfulfilled

Next week, Irish Senator David Norris takes my questions. Be sure to keep clicking in to United Irelander for your firsthand look at Irish political life.

Previous interviews can be read here.

I'd like to express right now my disgust over the fact that Ken Barret (pictured left), the man responsible for murdering Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane in 1989 (along with his security force handlers of course), has been released from Maghaberry prison.

This is the guy who was told in September 2004 that he was getting a life sentence and that he would spend at least 22 years in jail - he hasn't even served 3 years.

Why is this the case? Because he qualified for early release having been transferred to NI from England. As a prisoner in England, he did not qualify for early release under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement. Which begs the question - why on earth did they transfer the guy knowing he might be freed?

Pat Finucane's son Michael said the family's reaction was one of acceptance, since his release was inevitable. The Finucane family is unhappy with an inquiry which is being set up to examine the murder as Michael Finucane made clear:

"The prosecution of individuals was never a primary focus for my family.

"We always felt that the murder of Pat Finucane went far beyond the killing of just one man.

"What I'm not prepared to go along with is being told that a real inquiry is being established when obviously that is not the case."

The SDLP's Alban McGuinness and Sinn Féin's Gerry Kelly have backed the Finucane family's call for a public, independent inquiry.

I too hope there is a full, public and independent inquiry into Pat Finucane's death but the fact that this loyalist killer has been released tells me that sinister elements still have significant influence over the peace process.

Barrett should be in jail and despite reports that NI Secretary of State Peter Hain opposed his release, I believe there's something very dodgy about the fact that this individual is now a free man.

Not even three years for murder. Where else would this happen but in the north of Ireland? Sad.

Like many Irish football fans I was a little sceptical about Steve Staunton taking over as Irish manager, but the team's terrific 3-0 win over World Cup qualifiers Sweden convinced me to give the man a chance. Even so, I'm absolutely baffled that Staunton has now chosen to recall a player who is clearly well past his best for the friendly game against Chile today - Gary Breen.

Now I respect what Gary Breen has done for Ireland and I remember him fondly for his goal against Saudi Arabia in the 2002 World Cup, but this guy shouldn't be playing international football any more.

He hasn't played for Ireland since November 2004 and his Sunderland team have just been relegated from the top flight after a miserable season. So why the recall?

Ireland's first Euro 2008 qualifier is against Germany in Stuttgart in September. Is Gary Breen going to be involved? Dear oh dear!

I fear this may come back to haunt Staunton...and the rest of us. Still, I fancy Ireland to beat Chile on Wednesday. We're good at Lansdowne. I'll go for a 2-0 win.

On another note, I wish Bobby Robson a speedy recovery after his recent operation to have a suspected cancerous tumour on his lung removed. Robson heeded Staunton's advice not to travel to Portugal for a four-day training camp in the Algarve, but he will be in the Lansdowne Road stands watching Wednesday's friendly against Chile.

His dedication is admirable and if the players show half as much determination I'm sure we'll do just fine.

I was pleased to hear Australian Prime Minister John Howard speaking so warmly of my country last night.

Mr Howard, who is on a four-day official visit, said Australia would be forever indebted to Ireland for shaping its national identity:

"Australia will forever be indebted to the Irish people for the contribution it made to the shaping of our national identity.

"It is also very much a contemporary relationship as well."

His comments are appreciated and the Irish people likewise value the relationship we have with the Australians too. I myself am fond of Australia so permit me to outline the top ten reasons why I like the land down under. Without further ado:

1. Historical ties - Obviously Ireland and Australia have a shared past and many Australians today are of Irish descent. There is a strong bond between our two nations.

2. Sporting prowess - I admire the strength of Australia when it comes to sport. They take sport seriously and it shows. It's always nice to see them beat the English at cricket and to do well in other sports.

3. The accent - How can you not love that accent? "G'day mates. Wanna put some food on the barby?" Brilliant.

4. Ned Kelly - He might be theirs, but he's partly ours too. A hero.

5. Kangaroos - Who doesn't like kangaroos? And Skippy is included through this choice for the record...

6. Kylie Minogue - No explanation necessary.

7. The Great Barrier Reef - One of the world's natural beauties...like Kylie.

8. Soaps - Where would we be without Australian soaps? They're so much more cheerful than the stuff we're used to over here. I can't stand Home and Away though. Neighbours has its moments.

9. Crocodile Dundee - Had to include this guy, didn't I? The film captured the world by storm...at the time at least.

10. Steve Irwin - He's like a real life Crocodile Dundee. Remember when this guy was really popular a few years ago? His popularity has waned a bit but he's still funny. Sort of.

So there you have it. The top ten things about Australia. Honourable mentions too for boomerangs, koala bears, Nicole Kidman and that chap that RTE uses for rugby match analysis.

Feel free to comment on my choices or to offer up some of your own.

I wish to congratulate the people of Montenegro who have gone and voted for independence and for the right to govern their own affairs free of interference from Serbia.

It must be wonderful to know that your country is now free. I hope one day to experience what the people of Montenegro are right now feeling.

I must admit though I'm a bit troubled by the role of the European Union in this matter. The European Union had said a minimum 55% threshold of 'Yes' votes was needed for Montenegro to secede. (Why 55%?)

Commenting on the result which reached the required 55% minimum requirement, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana remarked from Brussels:

"We will fully respect the result of the referendum."

Oh how nice of them! After all, they don't always respect democracy do they? I wonder if we'll hear them give their blessing in such a referendum conducted in Ireland? I'd like to see them try and disrespect a pro-United Ireland result!

Still, EU aside, the important thing here is that the people of Montenegro are now able to enjoy national freedom. It's just a dreadful shame that while so many countries around Europe are allowed to enjoy their national freedom, the small island of Ireland on the outskirts of Europe continues to be denied its national freedom.

The wishes of the majority of the Irish nation's inhabitants are ignored in order to placate a majority within an artificially constructed entity that was designed to ensure a majority. Warped? Yes. But we must deal with this state of affairs.

I hope that in the near future Ireland's destiny is granted and that the unity of the national territory is restored. We continue to suffer the sins of past British imperial aggression and unionist intransigence but I remain confident that one day soon, the wishes of the Irish people will be answered and that the people in the North will come to realise that they are better off with their compatriots south of the border.

Commenting on Montenegro's historic moment, pro-independence Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic said:

"Today, the citizens of Montenegro voted to restore their statehood.

"This is the most important day in Montenegro’s recent history."

Indeed it is. Let us now hope that the most important day in Ireland's history is not too far away...

I've been pleased with the response to the Words on Wednesday interviews that I've conducted here on UI. It has proved to be perhaps the most popular feature on the site.

Since I enjoy interviewing people I've decided to conduct more interviews on United Irelander - this time over the weekend. These weekend interviews, which I've tentatively labelled 'Weekend Words' (took me ages to think of that), will not be political interviews like the ones I do mid-week. Instead they will be more light-hearted and I hope to use it to interview a wide range of people from entertainers to TV personalities to authors etc.

I've not been happy about the fact that I don't have any weekend features on the site so this is to fill the void.

Anyway, first up to be interviewed for my Weekend Words feature will be Irish Blog Awards host and 2FM presenter Rick O'Shea.

Feel free to offer up suggestions on who you'd like to see me interview in future and I'll see what I can do.

Here's a hilarious clip of Richard Pryor performing stand-up and talking about nature. Pryor is widely regarded as one of the greatest stand-ups of all time and this clip shows why...

Gerry Adams: "I want to move that Ian Paisley be returned as First Minister and Martin McGuinness by returned as Deputy First Minister on the restoration of devolved government."

Assembly Speaker Eileen Bell: "Well what do you say, big man?" (I'm paraphrasing)

Ian Paisley: "Certainly not."

So about this joint stewardship...

They've been reporting this on the Joe Duffy show on the radio and it's probably the funniest story of the year so far.

A press release on the Irish government's website has the Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism John O'Donoghue congratulating Brian Kennedy on winning the Eurovision for Ireland! I kid you not! The press release dated the 20th of May, the night of the Eurovision, reads:

"John O'Donoghue, T.D., Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism congratulated Brian Kennedy on his success in the Eurovision Song Contest with his own composition "Every Song Is A Cry For Love".

"Minister O'Donoghue said: "I wish to extend my congratulations to Brian on his marvelous win for Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest in Athens tonight. He gave a wonderful performance and in the process extended Ireland's record number of Eurovision wins to eight. Everyone should be very proud of this excellent achievement."

ENDS

This is unbelievable! I know the Irish government is used to telling a few porkies but this is ridiculous.

I guess Minister O'Donoghue was more fed up with the voting system than I was.

Well done, Brian! You did us proud!

Stick that up your hole, Finland!

Update: If you click the link above you'll see the Government has removed the press release in question. Rats! Ah well, at least I reproduced it before they got to it...

The following piece is from an article in the Sunday Independent. Since it requires registration to view it, I've reproduced the article in full. Tell us what you think of it:

Two Facts. First, 50 per cent of our population is under the age of 25. Second, Sinn Fein is the fastest growing party among younger voters, despite Fine Gael's little burst in the polls last week. Put together, they make for a worrying combination - particularly for the political establishment.

Admittedly, not all of those under 25 are eligible to vote, nor are they inclined to do so (only one out of three will, according to some estimates). It does, though, set a worrying precedent. When it comes to younger voters, Sinn Fein has been ruthlessly efficient in exploiting the limitations of mainstream parties, particularly, those in opposition.

Fine Gael and Labour speak of the mood for change, yet they offer none. There are no major differences in policy between the alternative and real governments. "We'll do the same - only better," hardly constitutes an alternative, but that's what's being offered.

The consensus among the mainstream parties, on almost everything, plays into Sinn Fein's hands. While Sinn Fein's policies are often off the wall - their desire to significantly increase corporation tax for example - they are, nonetheless, a break with the consensus. This allows Sinn Fein to claim that they are the only party offering real change - even if the policies themselves are ludicrous. What's going to appeal to younger voters - radical change or more of the same?

Sinn Fein is increasingly able to present itself as the party of the working classes, in contrast to Labour, which appears increasingly like the party of middle-class guilt. Sinn Fein is more visible in the community, making a concerted effort to connect with people - and young people in particular.

It seems that one of Sinn Fein's latest strategies to appeal to younger voters is to ingratiate themselves with them where most young Irish people do their ingratiating - the pub. Buying the odd drink creates goodwill - which could conceivably be replicated at the polling booth.

The age profile of Sinn Fein candidates also works in their favour - with young candidates such as Pearse Doherty (who is under 30), they have a clear advantage over the mainstream parties. The Labour Party's sitting TDs, for example, will have an average age of 59 when the election happens as expected in summer 2007. It stands to reason that a 20-year-old is more likely to vote for a 28-year-old, rather than somebody who remembers where they were when they heard John F Kennedy was shot.

The constant criticism of Sinn Fein by the mainstream parties could actually be benefiting Sinn Fein - particularly with younger voters. When younger voters (who are disillusioned with the establishment parties) see this, it creates the opposite to the desired effect.

"If they're being criticised by them, well they must be doing something right," seems to be the impression this criticism generates.

In the last general election in North Kerry, Martin Ferris was trailing in the polls, yet, after a Prime Time "debate" where he was rounded upon by the representatives of the mainstream parties, he topped the poll.

The establishment parties need to spend less time trying to convince people why they shouldn't vote for Sinn Fein and more time convincing them why they should vote for them. Take the Labour Party, there's a smugness and conceitedness about the Labour Party under Pat Rabbitte - not exactly qualities that are going to appeal to younger voters. At their party conference in DCU, they told us that they were "preparing for government" - this despite the fact that they have yet to convince enough people to vote for them.

Pat Rabbitte has done more to convince the British far right of his kudos, than he has the left-leaning voters. The right praised him for his stance on immigration - "There are 40 million Poles after all". This leaves the door wide open for Sinn Fein to exploit. And exploit it they have.

While the rise in support for Sinn Fein among younger voters can be attributed to the failings of the more established parties, one can't ignore Sinn Fein's past as being part of its appeal. The whiff of sulphur is undoubtedly an attraction to impressionable young voters. Sinn Fein knows this and is quite willing to exploit it - its shops stock T-shirts extolling: "IRA - The Undefeated Army".

Sinn Fein will continue to rise, unless the mainstream parties realise that the problem lies with them and their failure to capture the imagination of the public - blindly criticising Sinn Fein won't win votes.

Damian Stack

Your thoughts?

I was quite amused by this letter in the Belfast Telegraph from a former delegate to the Ulster Unionist Council, who is unhappy with the Ulster Unionist Party for getting into bed with the PUP, the political wing of the UVF. 'Disgusted' writes:

"As a former delegate to the Ulster Unionist Council, I am disgusted beyond belief at my old party for allying itself with the main UVF spokesman in the Assembly.

"Since it failed last year to get the 'decent' vote, perhaps the UUP is going after the 'indecent' people instead.

"It is morally reprehensible for a party allegedly committed to the rule of law to form a pact with those who speak for the dregs of unionist society.

"The UUP has ceded the moral high ground.

"Never again will it be able to condemn the IRA for its thuggery and criminality without deserved charges of hypocrisy.

"Sir Reg has prostituted his office in a quite disgraceful fashion.

"Over the last decade a once great party has been wrecked by those charged with its leadership. Carson, Craig and Brookeborough would turn in their graves if they could see this squalid deal."

Disgusted, London

While I support the sentiments, I can't help but laugh at the suggestion that Carson and Craig would be turning in their graves over this deal.

I mean Carson and Craig would have never entered into an alliance with loyalist paramilitaries, would they?

I see Tom Cruise is in the news again, (surely not?) this time in relation to how he raises his kids.

Tom has said he bars his two adopted children from watching TV and playing computer games and expects them to help out around the house. The kids, who are home-schooled by tutors from the Church of Scientology, are also encouraged to spend time outdoors:

"The kids have no computer games. And absolutely no television. None.

"They can listen to music and read just about any book they want, and they can choose the movies they want to see on the weekends, within reason.

"They also have chores, because I want them to know that it's important to work. I had a job when I was eight years old delivering newspapers.

"So for me, it's like: You want a clean room? Then you've got to clean your room. No one is going to do it for you."

So they don't get to watch South Park then?

I wonder what movies they do get to watch that are "within reason"? I'm guessing Mission Impossible 1&2, Jerry Maguire, Top Gun etc...

Lighten up, Tom. Don't want people thinking you're a bit strange, eh?

Well done to the Gardaí for removing the Afghan hunger strikers from St Patrick's Cathedral last night.

According to campaigners, the men did not leave voluntarily but did not resist.

In a statement, the Department of Justice said the situation had ended with the minors being taken into the care of the HSE and the adults into garda custody.

The Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, has confirmed that no deal was done with the group. He said the Department's position remains what it has been since last Sunday - that the group must seek asylum through the refugee system.

Earlier, the Church of Ireland said it was instructed by the Department of Justice to withdraw from all negotiations involving the asylum seekers.

Last night the department rejected proposals, agreed by church officials with the asylum seekers, aimed at resolving the situation.

The Department of Justice said it could not agree to compromises brokered by the Church of Ireland bishops, as they would almost certainly lead to copycat actions.

The department said it is not possible to enter into agreement involving commitments which go beyond what the protestors are entitled to under the asylum process.

Well done to all involved in the operation. The Department of Justice has done well here.

It would have been unthinkable to allow these guys hold the Irish state to ransom and it would certainly have led to copycat actions.

It's very simple. If you want to come into this country then you respect the laws of this land. These men did not.

For that they should be deported in my opinion.

So we've gone from the days of Dana to this monstrosity to your left.

Yes, Finland have prevailed in the Eurovision backslapping song contest with the song Hard Rock Hallelujah by "horror rock" group Lordi.

Brian Kennedy's dire song "A cry for love" cried its way to a surprising 10th place finish for Ireland. The UK ended up 19th.

I must say I'm getting fed up now with the voting tactics of these European countries. Ever since they changed the voting system from judges to text votes we've seen countries constantly voting for their neighbours! It's ridiculous. Terry Wogan's commentary made things tolerable during the event.

I was pleased to see ourselves and the British doing likewise and voting for each other. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, eh?

Alas I fear we will never win this competition again, even with a good song, as the whole event is a shambles. I think it's time ourselves, the British and a few other countries left as we are being discriminated against by the voting system.

After all, why remain part of a group of European nations that is more concerned with looking after its own selfish interests?

Well done to Munster on clinching rugby's Heineken Cup. They defeated Biarritz in a nail-biting final by 23-19.

There were over 50,000 Munster fans packed into Cardiff's Millenium Stadium and I'm pleased to see an Irish team taking the spoils.

I've friends from Munster who won't shut up about this win but I suppose they've earned their bragging rights!

I've been following this story for the last few days and I feel the need to comment on it.

I'm disgusted at the actions of the Afghan hunger strikers in St Patrick's Cathedral who are trying to blackmail the Irish state by going on hunger and thirst strike in order to stay in the country.

Now I'm sure this is an issue that the bleeding hearts PC brigade won't agree with me on, but I say we deport these loons from the country ASAP.

The Minister for Justice Michael McDowell has rightly reiterated that the 41 men must go through the refugee system.

It emerged yesterday that several of the hunger strikers at St Patrick's Cathedral were threatening to jump from the organ loft in the building. (Wow they seem like a rational bunch, eh?)

A statement from the Church of Ireland this evening confirmed that they are now pursuing legal options to bring the stand-off to a conclusion. A Church of Ireland spokesperson refused to confirm whether or not they would be requesting gardaí to remove the men in light of threats they have made to their own lives.

I think this is an outrage personally. These people are trying to hold this country to ransom and it is unacceptable. We have rules and regulations to deal with this sort of thing and attempts at blackmailing the state into submission cannot be allowed to work.

I was not at all surprised to hear that a spokesperson for Residents Against Racism, Henry Dent, had criticised the garda operation saying there was an unnecessary number of gardaí in the area.

One question though - what the hell is a spokesperson for "Residents Against Racism" doing getting involved in this dispute? Oh that's right. Silly me! They have a different colour skin so therefore racism MUST be taking place, isn't that right? The bleeding hearts brigade don't waste any time do they? The reality is this issue has nothing to do with racism. It's about respecting the rules that we have in place in this country. These hunger strikers aren't doing that.

What are your thoughts on this issue though? I've added a poll to United Irelander on my sidebar which asks the following question:

Should the Irish state give in to the Afghan hunger striker's demands?

My answer is a categorical NO. What's yours?

If you ever needed proof that the Eurovision song contest has gone to the dogs, you got it Thursday night when Brian Kennedy's atrocious song (and I use the word song loosely) 'Every Song is a Cry for Love' managed to make it through to the Eurovision final.

The whole semi-final thing is a farce anyway seeing as certain countries like the UK don't have to go through with it on the grounds that they're one of the biggest countries. (Yeah that's fair and relevant to a music competition)

I imagine most Irish viewers watched Kennedy's performance the way I did - through their hands. It was cringe-inducing. I'm sure the sound of hippos having sex is more pleasing to the ear than that rubbish. Marty Whelan then said Brian had done a great job. In what sense, Marty? In the sense that my ears weren't bleeding?

As is tradition for practically EVERY song entered into the Eurovision by Ireland, we had the usual three-person back-up singers, although this year things were somewhat different and I could have sworn I was watching Father Ted as one of the back-up singers looked just like a priest. He was also sporting a haircut that would have turned heads in the eighties. It's amazing to me how Irish song entries have stuck to this three-person back-up singer formula when it hasn't worked in years. Most of the other countries have moved on to dance numbers with scantily-clad women and yet we're stuck with Brian's high-pitched pining and the three stooges.

Ireland is a country with a strong musical background and we can easily match these countries with their Amazon warrior women and their risque acts. Let's suit up a few fine Celtic lasses in armour and scare the bejaysus out of Europe. That's the way to do it. Raverdance is what we need.

You could almost hear the entire nation gasp as well when it was revealed that Ireland had actually qualified. I think a flying pig crashed into my window at that point. It seems the continent of Europe has about as much taste as John Prescott's mistress.

Tomorrow Ireland gets to compete in the final along with 23 other countries and we get to take part in a voting system that gives a slap in the face to democracy that only the European Union could better.

"Hi zere, greetings Athens. Here are ze results from Armenia - Ireland 0 points, Lithuania 10 points and Macedonia 1 million points."

"Hallo Athens. Here are the resulsh from Shweden. Ireland 0 pointsh, Denmark 8 pointsh, Finland 10 pointsh and Norway 1 zillion pointsh."

The whole process is head-wrecking and no doubt the contest will be won by some eastern European country that has all its border friends vote for it. Krostanovia or some place like that. The Eurovision is an argument for the revival of the Soviet Union if ever there was one.

You might say "So what, pay no attention to it" but this is something we Irish were actually good at once upon a time and let's face it, we can't say that about many things can we? This year's World Cup in Germany will bring that home in a very painful way.

Of course I hope Ireland does well under Brian and seeing as the contest is rarely won by a talented song, we're at least in with a shot in that sense but the whole thing has become the glitzy equivalent of the drunk guy in a bar who gets up to sing a few songs. You know he's terrible, you know you should stop paying attention to him and yet nonetheless you can't help but watch the whole sorry episode.

The only good thing about the Eurovision these days is that it reminds me why I want nothing to do with the rest of Europe in a national sense. There's no way I could feel an affinity with people who have their taste.

The Eurovision - so bad it's bollocks.

Things are looking grim right now for Bertie's boys and things are looking up now for Enda's entourage as the latest opinion poll in the Irish Times has shown growth in support for Fine Gael and a drop in support for Fianna Fáil.

While I've closed United Irelander's poll which had 67% saying Fine Gael shouldn't be returned to power, 19% undecided and just 14% in favour of the party, in contrast the first tns/MRBI poll for the Irish Times since January has support for Fine Gael up four points to 28%.

Fianna Fáil will be alarmed to hear their support has fallen six points to 31% while Labour are down one at 15%. It means the Irish public at this point in time supports Fine Gael and Labour collectively over the current Government.

Sinn Féin at 9% are unchanged, as are the PDs at 3%. The Greens are up one at 5% and Independents and others are also up one at 9%.

With regards to the leaders, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's satisfaction rating is down four to 52%, while Mary Harney is down five at 34%. Enda Kenny's satisfaction is unchanged at 40%, while Pat Rabbitte is down seven at 41%. Gerry Adams is down one at 39% and Trevor Sargent is up three at 35%.



Worried


As someone who at this moment in time favours a change of government, I am pleased with these findings. I think Fine Gael will be encouraged by them but there might be a bit of concern that Enda Kenny's popularity rating is unchanged when he was such a pivotal part of the party's recent Ard Fheis. Pat Rabbitte, who I interviewed on Wednesday, won't be too happy with his drop in popularity either.

If you're sick to the teeth of Fianna Fáil and the PDs though, the poll's findings are most welcome.

It's time for a change. Roll on 2007!

Hugh over at Most Sincerely Folks wrote a great post about creationism and it reminded me of the legendary comedian Bill Hick's take on creationism which I've managed to find a clip of below.

As Hicks explains, the theory doesn't really hold up when one presented with one simple word: dinosaurs.

One is a beloved singer, the other is Brian Kennedy.

Cher and Brian Kennedy - separated at birth? You decide.

Fact: All clams start out as males; some decide to become females at some point in their lives.

Hmm, why bother? Silly clams...

The spiralling number of deaths on our roads is a major problem in this country right now, and one I have commented on quite a bit here on United Irelander, and while I welcome today's proposal by the Minister for Transport to tackle the problem, I don't think he's going far enough.

Today Minister for Transport Martin Cullen said he wanted to introduce a zero alcohol limit...but only for first-time drivers.

Provisional drivers and young drivers would be on lower-level licenses, preventing them from drinking any alcohol before driving. The Minister said the zero alcohol limit would likely operate for three years, but he was going to refer the issue to the Road Safety Authority to see what would be best.

Minister Cullen was speaking at a conference of European transport ministers being held in Dublin. He added that the system is already operating in Australia and aims to give new drivers good habits:

"It’s an idea I’d like to adopt here. I obviously have to look at the legal implications of how we might do it."

I welcome a zero alcohol limit. My problem is, why only a zero alcohol limit for first-time drivers? God forbid we get to a stage where people who have been driving for over three years then decide that they are now able to handle drinking and driving.

We should aim to have a zero alcohol limit for ALL drivers.

I've been checking other European countries to see what their alcohol limit levels are. In France and Spain it's illegal to have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) greater than 0.05%, in Sweden and Norway it's illegal to be greater than 0.02%. In Ireland and the UK, it's only illegal to have a blood alcohol concentration greater than 0.08%. Why are we lagging behind?

I say it's time we here in Ireland show an example, as we did with the smoking ban, by banning ALL Irish drivers from drinking and driving. Let's have a zero alcohol limit for everybody.

Lives would be saved. And that's all that matters.

The harrowing picture to your left depicts murdered teenager Michael McIlveen's mother Gina carrying her son's coffin at the boy's funeral yesterday.

The Catholic teenager died last Monday, the day after being attacked by a gang in Ballymena.

The boy's death was a tragedy but it has been most heartening to observe the response of the people in Ballymena who have united together, regardless of religion, to condemn the murder and the bigotry which fuelled it. In an impressive gesture of solidarity, dozens of teenagers donned Celtic and Rangers soccer jerseys in a show of cross-community unity. I've even been impressed with the attitude of Ian Paisley and, despite my feelings on what he has done in the past, I'll give credit to Paisley for deciding to visit the boy's family and pray with them. I note some have criticised him for not attending the Mass itself but considering his religious views that was never going to happen.

In light of this show of solidarity it was with great sadness that I then learned of the actions of these loyalist idiots who disgracefully attacked mourners on their way to the boy's funeral. According to Sinn Féin councillor Monica Digney, a loyalist crowd waved placards saying they were under siege in front of those travelling to Crebilly graveyard. Ms Digney said:

"The so-called protestors then surrounded and stoned two cars in Ballykeel en route to the funeral of Michael McIlveen, and were heard to shout ‘kill the fenians’."

Police confirmed they were investigating reports that a car was stoned near a cemetery in Ballymena, Co Antrim.

What a shame that these people could be so insensitive and ignorant. They are a disgrace to the majority of decent unionists who acknowledge that this kind of bigotry is poisoning the very fabric of society in the North.

At Michael McIlveen's funeral, Bishop of Down and Connor Patrick Walsh said the people who murdered Michael grew up in "an atmosphere polluted by sectarian hatred". It seems that this hatred still burns strong in parts of Ballymena and it needs to be eradicated.

I echo the thoughts of Bishop Walsh who said he hoped a better future could be found so that Michael will not have died in vain:

"Michael will not have died in vain if his death leads to a new vision for Ballymena, indeed for the whole of Northern Ireland.

"Even in the past week, there have been signs of new relationships, dialogue between those who formerly would not speak to each other, a reaching out in love across the divide."

Indeed, and it's a good start. Clearly though more needs to be done and hopefully the impetus will be there to continue building bridges.

There's something very wrong when in this day and age people are feeling "under siege", when we have designated republican areas and designated loyalist areas, where we have "peace walls", which to me is a blatant oxymoron, and so on and so on.

The North needs to move out of the dark sectarian abyss that has engulfed it for so long. It won't be easy and it won't be done overnight but the actions of everyday nationalists and unionists coming together to denounce bigotry in all its forms will help bring brighter days to NI. I truly hope this happens and I hope that some good can come from this evil, abhorrent act.

"The mind of the bigot is like the pupil of the eye; the more light you pour upon it, the more it will contract." - Oliver Wendell Holmes

Welcome to this week's Words on Wednesday feature here on United Irelander, a concept unique to the Irish blogosphere, which sees me interview various figures from all walks of political life.

Taking my questions this week I'm pleased to say is Labour leader Pat Rabbitte.

I'd like to thank Mr Rabbitte for his cooperation and for very kindly agreeing to be interviewed. With that being said, let's begin:

What initially attracted you to political life?

When I was a young boy I wanted to be, variously, a football player, a cowboy, and a priest. However, it was when I first went to university in Galway in the late 1960s and became active in the anti-war and civil rights movements that I became involved in politics.

It was a dynamic time in student life. Students across the board, from Berkley College in California to university College Galway, were revolting. It was hard not to be caught up in it and I found university a merciful release after the strictness of school.

After college I became President of the Union of Students Union of Ireland for two years. Then I was headhunted by the ITGWU which later became SIPTU. I was elected to Dail Eireann in 1989 to represent the rapidly growing constituency of Dublin South West.

You are the leader of the Labour Party. Talk us through a typical day in your life.

No day is typical. The demands of the Dail itself, receiving organisations that want to lobby on an issue of concern, responding to constituents, meeting colleagues, and the internal and strategic requirements of the party.

When the Dail is sitting I try get to my office in Leinster House for 9 o’clock – though such is the congestion on the roads in from my home in Clondalkin that I very often arrive much later. Dail business, including Leaders’ Questions to the Taoiseach, the daily Order of Business, and debates on legislation will take up most of the day – both preparing for them and speaking.

Then there are Committee and internal Labour Party meetings, as well as meetings with interest groups, visiting politicians or ambassadors. At the same time I have to attend to constituency queries and also media requests in response to the issues of the day.

When the Dail is in recess I try to do as much work in my constituency as possible. Again this can involve meeting community groups and attending to local issues. I also use the opportunity to visit different parts of the country to meet local Labour organisations, election candidates, community organisations and interest groups. This usually involves public meetings and local media events.

There is a General Election looming here in the Republic. Are you confident that your party will end up in Government?

I am. Ireland badly needs a change of Government, and there is an unmistakeable mood for change. By next year Fianna Fail will have been in power for almost 20 years unbroken, with only a brief two-year interregnum. That is not healthy for Irish society or our democracy.

Nor has the present Government made the best use of the unprecedented resources available to them.

If you could change three things about Irish society, what would you change and why?

1. That as a society we need to adjust to wealth creation without undermining traditional values of community, solidarity and inter-dependence. Aggressive individualism, reckless nationalism and ‘the devil take the hindmost’ risk us losing what made us different and destroying the environment in the process.

2. That the coarsening of Irish society be arrested. Human life has become cheap, firearms easily available and resorted to. Drug abuse has become endemic, and anti-social behaviour is torturing some of our neighbourhoods.

3. Mayo football. 55 years since our last All-Ireland. Its time that changed.

You are the Labour Spokesperson on NI. What should be done to improve the situation in the North?

Simple answer: the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. I think this can best be achieved by the DUP agreeing to share-power with the SDLP and Sinn Fein, and by Sinn Fein signalling their support for the PSNI. Then, parties in the North by working together can begin to address issues such as sectarianism – the real cause of division in Northern Ireland.

What are your thoughts on a United Ireland?

I am in favour of a united Ireland in the sense spelt out by James Connolly. Without the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement a united Ireland remains an aspiration. Therefore, the full implementation of the Agreement must be the priority.

But the unity of the island that I envisage would be done through a coming together of people from different cultures and traditions in a mutual acceptance and respect for the different traditions that exist on this island. Key to this is persuading unionists in the North that a united Ireland is in their best interests. That is not going to happen overnight.

Recently there was a military parade in Dublin honour of the Easter Rising. What are your own thoughts on the Easter Rising and were you pleased with the parade which marked the event?

I attended both the laying of the wreath in Kilmainham Jail and the parade on O’Connell Street on Easter Sunday. I was proud to do so. I think it is important that we mark such a seminal event in Irish history. That is why the Labour Party launched our own ‘Liberty Project’ to interrogate the meaning of 1916 and its relevance in modern Ireland.

However I was unhappy about the manner in which Fianna Fail sought to exploit 1916 for partisan political gain. For example, the Fianna Fail Ard Fheis was not the appropriate platform to announce the initiative. That left the impression that the parade was not so much motivated by the need to mark the anniversary of 1916 but was a party political exercise designed to suit Fianna Fail exclusively.

An issue which I was pleased to see you take an interest in was in relation to the British and Irish government's proposed On-The-Run legislation which has since been shelved. What are your thoughts on the OTR legislation and have we seen the last of this issue?

I sincerely hope we have seen the last of the Hain Bill and our own Government’s plans to grant an effective amnesty to those responsible for the 1800 unsolved murders relating to the Troubles.

The Labour Party has always recognised the need to draw a line under the past. But this should not come at the expense of victims, who would have seen the killers of their loved ones get off scott free, without having to account for their crimes in any way.

Recently I covered the proposals for a 28th amendment of the Irish constitution which would involve ensuring that "those not resident in the State of Ireland but citizens of the State of Ireland" can vote in Irish Presidential elections. What are your thoughts on this and can you clarify if this will allow Irish citizens from NI to vote?

I understand that this is a difficult and emotional issue. There is clearly a need to accommodate the wishes of Irish citizens living in the North and abroad in terms of participating in elections – whether they be for the Presidency or otherwise. However, there are major legal obstacles in the way, and implementing such a measure would be extremely difficult.

In that regard, the Labour Party supports the conclusion of the Seventh All-Party Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution Report which stated:

"While a case can be made for the extension of voting rights in presidential elections to citizens living in Northern Ireland, we believe that any decision should be deferred until the Good Friday Agreement has become more solidly entrenched, and until the experience of Northern participation in the Seanad can be assessed."

Staying with NI, the Irish and British governments have been quick to point out that if the North's Assembly isn't restored, there is no chance that their 'Joint Stewardship' of NI will be the same as Joint Authority. Do you believe them though and in your own view is Joint Authority reasonable?

To be honest, I am a little confused as to what ‘joint stewardship’ actually means. It seems to suggest closer co-operation between the two Governments, alongside efforts to re-establish the political institutions in Northern Ireland at a yet to be determined date. A kind of Anglo-Irish Agreement with North/South Bodies as add-ons. I questioned the Taoiseach on this recently but no clarity was forthcoming.

What will another term of Fianna Fáil and the PDs mean for Ireland?

Five more years of chaos in our Accident & Emergency Departments; five more years of deteriorating congestion on our roads; five more years of rising inflation and the cost of living spiralling upwards; five more years of young couples not being able to afford their own homes; five more years of worsening crime and anti-social behaviour; and five more years of the gap between rich and poor growing by the minute.

What are your thoughts on the current conflict in Iraq and Ireland's position?

I have always opposed the illegal war in Iraq. The Labour Party has been to the fore in anti-war protests over the past number of years, led by Party President Michael D Higgins. We were convinced that the Allied occupation of Iraq would lead to chaos in the region. That has been borne out. It has also set an alarming precedent for international relations that has led to a diminution of the United Nations and the corruption of international law.

You have had some heated exchanges with the Ceann Comhairle Dr Rory O'Hanlon in the past. What are your thoughts on his performance in the chair?

I do not doubt that the Ceann Comhairle has a difficult job to do, and I have great respect for Rory O’Hanlon. However, on occasion, I have felt the Government has been protected too much. It is getting increasingly difficult to hold the Taoiseach and the Cabinet to account in the Dail chamber. It is enough of a challenge to get a straight answer from the Taoiseach on any issue without the Ceann Comhairle intervening and ruling you out of order!

Fianna Fail’s ‘winner takes all’ approach is inappropriate when it comes to the Chair.

Where should Ireland be twenty years from now?

I would hope that in 2026 Ireland will be a more equal and fair society.

To the largest extent possible I would hope that poverty will be eliminated, that young people will be able to afford their own homes in our major towns and cities throughout the country; that the environment will be cleaner and there will be less reliance on fossil fuels; I hope we will have a world class healthcare system so that elderly people do not have to wait on trolleys for treatment; I hope that the economy will remain buoyant and that the fruits of that prosperity will be spread more equally among our people.

I hope that we will have a society more at ease with itself and one where there is adequate emphasis on positive integration.

I hope that in 2026 Ireland will continue to play a leading role in an expanded Europe; I hope that the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement will have bedded down; and, overall, I hope that we have a fully peaceful, lawful, and prosperous Ireland.

What would you say to anyone reading now who is not sure who to vote for in the next General Election?

I would ask them to consider if they are happy with the type of society Ireland has become. I would ask them to consider if they think it fair that the elderly have to sit on hospital trolleys awaiting treatment in our A&E departments. I would ask them if they think it right that headline crime is rising, alongside thefts, burglaries and break-ins; I would ask them if they believe it fair that children are taught in overcrowded classrooms without the basic materials needed for their education.

I would then ask them to consider that there is an alternative on offer. That that alternative, as represented by the Labour Party, is about creating a fair Ireland, where a successful economy does not have to come at the expense of an equal society.

Finally, I'd like to play a small round of word association. I'm sure you know what it entails. Basically just outline what word comes into your head when you hear the following names:

Bertie Ahern - slippery
Tony Blair - slick
George W. Bush - goofy
Gerry Adams - mendacious
Ian Paisley - no
Mary McAleese - headgirl
Michael McDowell - hubris
Dr Rory O'Hanlon - order
James Connolly - revolutionary
Pat Rabbitte - me

Next week, Green Party TD for Cork South Central, Dan Boyle, takes my questions. Be sure to keep clicking in to United Irelander for your firsthand look at Irish political life.

Previous interviews can be read here.

I'm pleased to see movement from the Irish and British governments towards addressing a bizarre and unsettling legal loophole which allowed sex offenders to travel freely within both state jurisdictions.

Paedophiles who have committed offences in the North have been free to live without prosecution in the South and vice versa but a memo of understanding has now been exchanged between Dublin and London that will lead to changes in the law on both sides of the Irish Sea.

In light of the Good Friday Agreement and its various strands, both governments have been moving towards a position to close down this legal anomaly.

It's understood legal changes are being worked on that will ultimately allow the British and Irish police the freedom to monitor and arrest known offenders from opposing jurisdictions.

This is all welcome news but I don't understand why it has taken this long?

It's outrageous that paedophiles from north of the border could be free to live south of the border without prosecution and vice-versa. Common sense should have prevailed over this matter years ago.

I suppose it's a case of better late than never, eh?

As the North's parties get used to speaking to each other once more, I found this article in Daily Ireland by Gearoid O Caireallain to be pretty interesting.

He suggests that regardless of what happens with the DUP, the Irish government can help out people in the North considerably by allowing elected MPs to sit at the Dáil.

O Caireallain writes:

"The DUP may well decide that they would be better served by staying clear of a Stormont Assembly with its powersharing Executive. They have nine MPs at Westminster, and perhaps their sights are set on a bigger target than Stormont.

"Just say Tony Blair goes early next year and Gordon Brown takes over the Labour Party and the British government. The new man will have to confirm his mandate at the poles and in the ensuing General Election, the DUP might well end up holding the balance of power between Labour and the Tories, whichever one of them is in power.

"The next British government could well depend upon DUP votes, and I would say that Paisley, Robinson, Donaldson and crew will be well able to use that situation to their best advantage.

"But just say this. Just say that duly elected MPs from the Six Counties were also allowed to sit in the Dáil. The Unionists may well boycott such a set up but who cares? As a Northern nationalist I would be delighted to be able to see my chosen representative sit in the Dáil.

"With democratically elected representatives from both communities sitting in the Dáil and Westminster, the two governments could easily set up a system of committees to oversee the governance of the North. It would not be a United Ireland, so it should be acceptable to Unionists, but it would turn Dáil Éireann into an all-Ireland government, and that would be good enough for me.

"Just imagine it – the North being run on a joint basis by the two governments with elected representatives from the Six Counties entitled to sit in both national parliaments, with all powers including policing and justice, economic development, roads, education, tourism, culture… the lot vested in the democratically controlled committees. And the system would be further complemented by the new, seven district local council set up.

"The only stumbling block, the only barricade on the road, the only problem is the Irish government. Its not the Brits, its not imperialism or colonialism, or even Unionism - it’s the Irish government that has the power to allow democratically elected Irish representatives from North East Ireland take part in the national parliament of Ireland. Its not the Unionist veto, but the Irish veto we have to fight to achieve national democracy."

What do you make of Mr O'Caireallain's views?

Reg Empey speaking at the UUP Annual Conference in the Ramada Hotel, Belfast, (Saturday 22 October 2005):

"The IRA was exhausted by years of failure to get the pro Union members of our community to bend to their wishes.

"Left friendless isolated and repudiated by an international community sick, sore and tired of terrorism in the wake of 9-11.

"And the Ulster Unionist Party played a pivotal role in devising and accelerating their end."

BBC, 15th May, 2006:

"A row has broken out over PUP leader David Ervine joining the Ulster Unionist assembly grouping.

"Ulster Unionist leader Sir Reg Empey said the move would cost Sinn Fein a ministerial seat.

""A unionist executive would reflect a unionist majority," he said

"DUP leader Ian Paisley said by linking with the PUP the UUP were "allying" themselves with terrorism."

The Ulster Unionists - stinking hypocrites.

Amazing how principles go out the window when there's power to be had, eh?

This story really left me scratching my head with bewilderment.

Three Catholic priests at the centre of a controversy after they concelebrated Mass with a Church of Ireland minister have apologised for their actions, it emerged tonight.

Fr Richard Goode, Fr Ignatius O’Donovan and Fr Noel Hession, all of the Augustinian Order, held an Easter Sunday Mass at Drogheda with the Rev Michael Graham.

The clergymen were heavily criticised by senior bishops, including Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin, who described the service as a very serious matter.

In a statement issued tonight, which I'm guessing was meant to be taken seriously, the Irish Province of the Augustinian Order said it deeply regretted the pain, confusion and damage caused. (Pain?)

The order said the three Augustinians, having reflected on the seriousness of their actions, have written to Archbishop Sean Brady, the Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Giuseppe Lazzarotto and to Fr Robert Prevost, the Prior General of the Augustinian Order in Rome:

"Their letter apologises unreservedly for the ill-considered celebration and gives an absolute commitment as to future conduct in matters liturgical".

"In an effort to bring closure to the issue, neither the Augustinians involved nor the Augustinian Order will be making any further statement in relation to the matter."

The special Easter Mass was held at the Augustinian Priory in Drogheda, in commemoration of the 1916 Rising.

But following the Mass, Church of Ireland Archbishop Robin Eames and Archbishop Brady reminded all involved of the canonical disciplines prohibiting such concelebrations. Archbishop Brady said:

"I welcome today’s statement … of the Irish Province of the Augustinian Order and the expression of regret which it contains.

"I have received correspondence from Fr Goode, Fr O’Donovan and Fr Hession and I note in particular their undertaking to respect the discipline of the Church regarding the celebration of the Eucharist in future.

"We are all aware of the pain caused by the divisions among Christians and of the need to constantly recommit ourselves to pray and work patiently for the healing of those divisions."

So it's better to "pray and work patiently" - which strikes me as a fancy way of continuing to do nothing - rather than actually work together as these men of God chose to do?

What planet are these Archbishops on? I would have thought the one thing that everyone could agree on is that following the teachings of Christ was paramount. However these Archbishops seem more intent on following Church guidelines.

Didn't Christ urge us to "Love they neighbour"? So why the big fuss over a concelebration which has respecting the teachings of Christ as the main objective?

The God that I believe in would not have felt "pain" over Catholic priests and Church of Ireland ministers working together. Far from it.

I think the Church is in danger of overlooking what is most important - belief in and reverence for Jesus Christ.

Those who read this site will know that one of the things I have a serious distate for is revisionism. Alas, such historical revisionism took place recently at the Mansion House in Dublin which celebrated Fianna Fáil's 80th anniversary. This revisionism involved giving disgraceful retrospective support to the worst Taoiseach in the history of the Irish state - Charles Haughey.

Yes current Fianna Fáil leader Bertie Ahern highlighted his party's forgetfulness by hailing the "courageous decisions" of Haughey and laughably claiming that this country owed the man:

"This country owes much of its present prosperity to the courageous decisions that were taken in 1987 and 1988 by Charles Haughey and his government, and in particular, the Minister for Finance Ray MacSharry.

"It was a very bad period and they took the decisions that were necessary. It was those decisions that helped create the growth in the economy into the 90s and beyond."

Vile revisionism. Ahern conveniently overlooks the fact that at this time Mr Haughey was making tidy sums of money from his very rich friends while many people in this country were struggling to make ends meet. We owe that joke nothing. Ahern then produced this little gem:

"He did make mistakes but when you look at his political career, it was exceptional."

Yeah the same can be said of Hitler.

It is vitally important to challenge this kind of nasty historical revisionism. The fact is Charles Haughey appeared on national TV in 1980 as if butter couldn't melt and came out with this load of baloney:

"...I wish to talk to your this evening about the state of the nations affairs and the picture I have to paint is not, unfortunately, a very cheerful one. The figures which are just now becoming available to us show one thing very clearly. As a community we are living away beyond our means...we have been living at a rate which is simply not justifiable by the amount of goods and services we are producing. To make up the difference we have been borrowing enormous amounts of money, borrowing at a rate which just cannot continue. A few simple figures will make this very clear...we will just have to reorganise government spending so that we can only undertake those things we can afford..."

As the Moriarty tribunal revealed however, cheeky Charlie received more than £8 million over an 18-year period from various benefactors and businessmen. One payment alone of £1.3 million came from Ben Dunne. Haughey spent large sums of money on Charvet shirts and expensive dinners in a top Dublin restaurant while he was feeding the Irish public a load of guff about belt tightening and implementing budget cuts as a national policy.

This is the kind of thing Fianna Fáil want swept under the carpet. The dirty little secret of the party's history. Corruption scandals which have plagued this State for decades now.

The Irish people need to see through the myths that Fianna Fáil wish to propagate about "good oul' Charlie", "the lovable rogue", "made a few mistakes who doesn't?" blah, blah, blah.

This guy was a gangster. Plain and simple. His story is not one of a tragic hero who fell from grace; it's the story of a power-hungry corrupt crook who was a national disgrace.

He gained a few million but he lost his reputation. A fitting price to pay I feel.

Well today's the day.

Political parties in the North will meet today to try to restore devolution within six weeks and according to the Taoiseach, this could be their last chance to do so for 20 years.

The parties have been given an ultimate deadline of November 24 by the British and Irish governments and according to Mr Ahern, major issues like IRA criminality, paramilitarism and arms decommissioning are now resolved and should no longer block talks between republicans and unionists:

"It is a major achievement, I think, to get there and I’m very happy we’re there.

"For the first time since 2002, we’ve achieved the resolution of so many issues that have bedevilled us for 30 years or even for 130 years.

"We have to get through the formalities and move it on in a positive way."

The Taoiseach stressed that enough time had been spent already:

"Now is the hour. Tony Blair and I are two realistic guys who have spent a total of 20 years on this. We’ve got it to here.

"I think November is too long but I went with the compromise.

"To go any longer will just be a nonsense. It will be unworkable and will flake away.

"If we can’t do it in six months, then we’re unlikely to do it this side of the next 20 years."

The real question of course though is if things aren't resolved, what form of rule will Ireland's north be left with? How far will 'Joint Stewardship' go if the parties fail to find agreement?

I hope that Joint Stewardship will ultimately prove unnecessary but I don't believe Paisley's DUP possess the courage to embrace devolution.

I think if all parties can get through today without engaging in a riot or some other scandal then we will have ourselves a somewhat encouraging start.

Let's see what happens.

This is a bit of unwelcome news for Tony Blair and Gordon Brown and I would imagine for most pro-Union folks across Britain.

A BBC poll has reportedly found that most voters in England believe Scottish MPs should be barred from becoming Prime Minister - but only one in five agree north of the border.

Scottish Nationalists claimed that the findings of the ICM survey, conducted for BBC1's The Politics Show, were "bad news" for both Tony Blair and his widely-tipped successor and Fife-based MP Gordon Brown.

Across the UK, 52% of respondents said it was wrong for an MP from Scotland to become PM now that Scotland has its own Parliament.

The figure was 55% for England and 59% in the south east but just 20% in Scotland, according to the Sunday Mail newspaper. SNP leader Alex Salmond said:

"This poll is bad news for Labour.

"It means the current Prime Minister is deeply unpopular in Scotland while the future Prime Minister is unacceptable in England.

"It shows Gordon Brown's new-found Britishness cuts no ice north or south of the border."

But a Labour spokesman countered:

"The people of Britain will pick the next Prime Minister based on his ability to deliver a strong and stable economy and a secure future."

The poll findings follow claims by former Labour minister Frank Field that new Home Secretary John Reid - also a Scottish MP - will challenge the Chancellor for the keys to Number 10 when Mr Blair steps down.

Uh-oh! It seems that not all is well in Britain!

As Mr Salmond alluded to above, the poll's findings make bleak reading for Mr Brown who back in January urged people to "embrace the Union flag".



'Those silly English eh?'


I think this reflects a growing desire within England for greater power for the English and less power for the Scottish. It's a pretty ridiculous state of affairs when Scottish ministers are allowed to voice their opinions on matters pertaining to England when the Scots have their own parliament and the English do not.

I think we are going to see more and more calls in the next few years for an English parliament to cater to English affairs.

The question is though, what will this do to the United Kingdom itself? Will it stengthen it or will it perhaps lead to its eventual demise?

I was reminded today of this post written by Slugger O'Toole's Mick Fealty over a year ago in relation to the issue of 'sockpuppets'. In Mick's own words:

"One of the sad things about Internet discussion is the reluctance of people to use their real names. In the context of Northern Ireland it is eminently understandable why people choose to remain annonymous. However, Sockpuppets take annonymity a step further. They are false, false identities if you like, often used by someone who is already posting under a 'proper' identity.

"They can be fun and entertaining. Occasionally they can be vicious, often being used as an attack vehicle: ie, not merely for anonymity. In the context of Slugger, sockpuppets are not against the rules. However should a sockpuppet character be seen to serially play the man not the ball, you may find that your alter ego is suddenly (and without warning) curtailed from play."

I regret to inform my readers that Jo of Joblog chose to go down this sockpuppet route by adopting the name of a poster called 'Sean' on this thread.

Having never heard of this 'Sean' character before I questioned why 'Sean' gave such an impassioned defense of Jo and why 'Sean' was so critical towards myself. It was the following post from 'Sean' which encouraged me to check the IP addresses of both Jo and 'Sean':

"LOl, you attacked her personally over some imagined thing about her gf and you think Vance is a sensible guy?

"I read her rape posts and she talked sense, even Chris Gaskin agreed with her ffs. Fucking Hell UI boy, you've lost it big time? Stick to something you know about...cheeriooo"

A person I'd never heard of before sticking up for Jo and bashing David Vance came across as a bit fishy to me and so lo and behold I discovered Jo and "Sean"'s IP address were a perfect match.

When I presented this evidence to Jo on the thread in question you will note that an angry Jo - who had stated she wasn't going to return to this site - appears attempting to rubbish the claims - as opposed to this 'Sean' character! A telling slip!

I have highlighted before on United Irelander about Jo's willingess to invent characters. She invented a character called 'Jacqui' on her own site who she continues to use as a way of treating her own site's readers as mugs. Some of them continue to buy into it sadly.

As far as I'm concerned however this incident proves 'Jacqui' is as false as 'Sean'.

The girl clearly has issues. Issues or not though, sockpuppets aren't going to be tolerated on this site in the same way they aren't tolerated on Slugger. Impersonating others is one of the cardinal sins of blogging in my opinion. It is an attempt to destroy proper debate and an effort to manipulate a discussion.

In future I will ban anyone who creates a sockpuppet character here on United Irelander in an effort to manipulate a discussion. I have no problem with people using pseudonyms (I use one myself after all) but people need to have the decency and courtesy to respect others and to not try and pull the wool over other people's eyes.

As the guy responsible for moderating this place I won't allow the majority of my readers, who are sensible folks, to be duped by someone who is more concerned with being right than actually doing things right.

I came across this ridiculous letter in the Belfast Telegraph from a George Beattie (Batty?) who takes exception to the idea that the GAA is an inclusive body:

"It was with some amusement that I read the letter from Tony Fearon (Writeback, May 5) comparing the Glentoran-Linfield Cup Final with the Down-Cavan GAA game.

"One comparison omitted by Mr Fearon is the fact that at Windsor Park the players would be comprised of both the Catholic and Protestant communities, whereas at Casement Park the entire spectacle would be an exclusively Catholic affair.

"For Mr Fearon to suggest that "the GAA has laid down a template for all sports to follow" is beyond belief.

"Or perhaps Mr Fearon is being sardonic? The GAA in Northern Ireland is the only sectarian sporting organisation in the world.

"It is a tribute to the Protestant/unionist community in Northern Ireland that they have not only tolerated this state of affairs, but indeed have funded this body through their rates and taxes.

"Like many from this tradition I have supported this approach in the hope that this body might break away from its sectarian shackles and become inclusive. To date there has been no sign of this.

"My advice to all sporting bodies is to use the GAA as a template of how not to run your organisation.

"All other sports are inclusive - and long may this remain."

George Beattie, Belfast

What a bunch of ignorant tripe this is. How can one argue that everyone who dons a GAA jersey is a Catholic? No atheists? No agnostics? No Protestants whatsoever?

It's always amusing to hear the GAA being criticised for not being inclusive enough when it was borne out of circumstances that required Gaelic culture to be preserved because of efforts from British planters to destroy it!

I do think the GAA can improve in certain areas but I feel it is inclusive. I posted over a week ago about English kids from different ethnic backgrounds coming together through Gaelic football.

If Mr Beattie wants an example of an organisation that is exclusive rather than inclusive he should look no further than the IFA which requires all NI players to have British passports rather than Irish passports. Real inclusive there, eh?

People like Mr Beattie need to wake up and realise that they are ignorant to the reality of the situation.

Unionists are excluding themselves by not taking up Gaelic games.

As we all wait to see how the North's politicians behave when the suspended Assembly reconvenes next week, this story in the Belfast Telegraph caught my eye which stated that the cost to British taxpayers for the suspended Assembly, which has sat silent since 2002, is set to soar past £100m!

By the time of the governments' formal devolution deadline in November, the total Assembly bill will have gone beyond the £100m mark from its suspension.

In that time, now more than three-and-a-half-years, Assembly members have not been able to take collective decisions or pass legislation, while their salaries, albeit reduced, and allowances have continued.

The Belfast Telegraph has revealed that the on-going costs for the Assembly amount to around £2,170,000 every month.

Newly-elected chairman of the province's Institute of Directors, Frank Bryan, said:

"The rising costs of the Assembly make it all the more urgent that we achieve a political agreement.

"We need to see the restoration of a working Assembly and Executive which can move forward to put the economy at the top of the agenda."

It's important to put this into proper perspective. One hundred MILLION pounds...for nothing.

You see this is the kind of thing that I think is responsible for the apathy with which the British public feels for NI. No wonder they want to see a United Ireland and to be rid of the place! Can you blame them?

Unionists better hope that this news doesn't attract much attention on "the mainland" - and to be fair news about NI rarely does register there - but I am certain that if you ask every Tom, Dick and Harry you meet on the street in Britain what his views are on this, it would turn out to be most unpleasant to the ears of unionists.

The unionist strategy has been to avoid sharing power with nationalists, but is this strategy going to backfire for them long-term? I think so.

One hundred MILLION pounds. How many British schools could have been helped by that? How many British hospitals? How many British troops in Iraq? How many British police officers?

Instead that money went to funding the farce that is NI politics.

British people need to ask themselves...is it worth it?

Here's a story I found very disturbing.

A British schoolgirl who became pregnant at the age of 11 is set to break the record for being the UK's youngest mother.

Now 12, the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told The Sun:

"I didn’t think I’d get pregnant because it was my first time.

"But I’m really excited and looking forward to being a mum."

The girl will give birth four months before her 13th birthday. She lost her virginity after having unprotected sex with a boy of 15 in Edinburgh on a night out with friends last August. The father, who cannot be identified, may face legal action.

The girl, who is in only her first year of secondary school, lives in a council flat and began smoking when she was nine.

She still smokes up to 20 cigarettes a day, despite being eight months pregnant. She told the newspaper how she took up drinking at just ten — sometimes downing a potent cocktail of Buckfast and vodka on nights out.

The girl's mother, 34, has said she is looking forward to being a grandmother:

"I’m not ashamed of my daughter at all — in fact, I’m proud of her for keeping her baby.

"I know she’s worried what other people will say. but she can walk out there with her head held high.

"She’s grown up a lot in the last few months.

"At first I wasn’t too happy about becoming a gran. But now I’m used to the idea, I’m really looking forward to having another baby about the house.

"I know she’s scared of going into labour and it’s even given her nightmares — but I’ll be there to hold her hand. She’s still my little girl and we’ll get through this together."

Wow. What a mess. This is essentially a child giving birth to a child. Very sad indeed.

This 12 year-old girl seems to have been living an awfully rough life and certainly not one befitting of a normal 12 year-old. The mother might not be ashamed of her daughter but she should be ashamed of herself. If your daughter is aged 10 and is out drinking then that is reprehensible. I find it hard to believe the mother would have been unaware of her pre-teen daughter heavily drinking and smoking. Now her daughter is pregnant and has lost her childhood - all before making it to her teenage years.

What a waste.

I've seen a few episodes of the American version of The Office on new Irish TV station Channel 6 and while it's not bad, in my view it's not a patch on the original British version.

To illustrate my point check out this scene below which is one of my most favourite moments from the series. Pure brilliance:

I must admit I found this letter amusing from the DUP's Robin Newton (pictured left, perhaps at Ibrox I don't know) who was compelled to write to the Belfast Telegraph to give his views on Catholic morality. Newton writes:

"During an interview on Sunday's Jonathon Dimbleby programme Cardinal Cormac O'Murphy, head of the Roman Catholic Church in GB, indicated it would be morally wrong for members of his faith to vote for the British National Party (BNP).

"If it is immoral for English Catholics to vote for BNP candidates why is it OK for their Northern Ireland co-religionists to support IRA/Sinn Fein members?

"The faults of the BNP pale into insignificance when compared with the atrocities carried out by IRA/Sinn Fein.

"Surely Northern Ireland's law-abiding people have the right to expect a comparable stance from the Primate of Ireland, Archbishop Sean Brady, if their church is to be perceived as consistent."

Robin Newton East Belfast DUP MLA

Staggering hypocrisy. Here is a man questioning the moral values of the Catholic Church when his own party leader, Ian Paisley, apparently a religious man, has spent much of his life preaching vile bigotry against people of the Catholic faith. What about his morals?

Surely NI's law-abiding people have the right to expect a comparable stance from yourself Mr Newton, if you are to be perceived as being consistent?

Fact: It's illegal in Alabama to wear a fake moustache that causes laughter in church.

Nice to see a US state that has its priorities right...

Welcome to this week's Words on Wednesday feature here on United Irelander, a concept unique to the Irish blogosphere, which sees me interview various figures from all walks of political life.

Taking my questions this week is Immigration Control Platform spokesperson Aine Ni Chonaill.

I'd like to thank Ms Ni Chonaill for kindly agreeing to be interviewed. With that being said, let's begin:

You are a spokesperson for the Immigration Control Platform (ICP). Tell us a bit about the ICP and what its aims and objectives are.

ICP was set up in January 1998. It is an Irish NGO; a single issue organisation. We absolutely oppose all illegal immigration, visa abuse and asylum abuse. We also do not wish to see legal immigration to an excessive degree.

The ICP's website states it wishes to "address the phenomenon of immigration to Ireland and to lobby Government for a tight immigration policy". Why is this necessary in your view?

It is necessary because the broader European experience and recent Irish experience shows that the West, including Ireland now, is under huge migratory pressure and has been for some time. Governments face a hugely difficult task in controlling immigration and they demonstrably lack the very strong political will required to deal with it. The determination of the migrant to enter is massively stronger than the will of governments and administrations to keep them out.

As if that were not enough, the immigration enthusiasts, practising their new ideology of multiculturalism, bring constant pressure on government for amnesties, lax regimes etc. They are backed by the churches and most of the media.

Hence the need for an organisation such as our own to voice what we firmly believe is the wish of the majority of people. These wishes are ignored right across Europe. Governments everywhere fail to implement the wish of their electorate to control immigration. Their response, then, is to try to "persuade" or socially engineer their population to accept it. Multiculturalism, which is basically code for mass immigration has been hugely problematic elsewhere. We don’t wish to see the same fate befall our own country and we are heading down that road at a rate of knots.

To me, democracy is fundamental to the whole issue. Policy is supposed to represent the wish of the electorate but immigration is the only policy on which people’s wishes are ignored, even though it is the one whose results can never be reversed. Democracy and immigration control go together.

The ICP has had to fight accusations that it is racist. What would you to say to anyone who feels the organisation promotes a racist message?

We don’t so much fight it as scorn it. Anyone who equates immigration control with racism is beyond reason. Remember that the usual nutters classified the citizenship referendum as racist. 80% of the voters voted for it.

Ireland is a republic. Some would say it is incumbent upon Ireland therefore to open up its borders and regard immigrants as equals. What are your thoughts on that?

A republic is, first and foremost, a democracy. Democracies are supposed to be run according to the wishes of the citizens. Nowhere do people want to "open up the borders" if by that you mean massive, uncontrolled immigration. As for regarding immigrants as equals, of course legal, invited immigrants are our equals. Illegal immigrants are also your equal in the sense that "all men are equal" but that is no reason not to send them packing.

If you could change three things about Irish society, what would you change and why?

As spokesperson for a single issue organisation I can’t answer this.

The number of immigrants coming in to Ireland is obviously at unprecedented levels. How do you feel this will impact on Irish culture?

I never talk about culture or identity. Irish culture is whatever Irish people do between the time they get up and the time they go to bed.

What are your thoughts on the European Union? Do you think the levels of immigration are a result of the Irish government giving in to the wishes of Brussels?

Generally, up to this, our immigration is not dictated by Brussels. For example, we had the same choice as other EU countries to have restrictions on Eastern Europeans for seven years. We chose not to. The daftness which is the asylum system is something we had signed up to before we ever joined the EU, although we did not at the time (1954) foresee the subsequent problems. Brussels did not force us to give any of the work permits or work visas we gave over the past years. The massive Chinese immigration we have has nothing to do with Brussels.

Having said that, Brussels remains a big danger in the area of immigration. There is an ongoing effort to have a common asylum policy and a common immigration policy and we are opposed to both moves. They have done more so far on asylum than on immigration. We are firm that Ireland should maintain the fullest sovereignty over these matters. There are co-operative control measures and sharing of information such as Eurodac with which we agree, but only that type of co-operation. Eurodac is a system of shared fingerprint information which means that an asylum-seeker who has been rejected in Britain say, and turns up in Ireland, can be identified as an "asylum-shopper" and sent back to Britain or vice versa.

We opposed the Nice Treaty because it moved towards a common asylum and immigration policy and the European Constitution because it sought to tie us constitutionally to the Geneva Convention on the Status of Refugees which we, in common with many people worldwide, see as the basis of an outmoded system. We want to see a system based more on the resettlement programme of U.N.H.C.R.

Under the Good Friday Agreement it states that a United Ireland can only happen if a majority on both sides of the island votes for it. It seems clear though that immigrants in Ireland could play a significant role in such a vote. What are your thoughts on that?

I really don’t see that it is possible to say anything meaningful about it at this point. Only those with citizenship could vote on it (here at any rate). Some might not care. Others would be swayed by various arguments at the time. For example, if it were argued that there would be an economic cost, certain of them might be opposed. Different groups could have different views. There is no way of knowing how it would break down.

The ICP has been vocal about ensuring a tighter immigration policy for the country. Define how tight this policy should be.

ICP has never voted a policy on precise numbers but I feel confident our membership would say we have already gone too far. Let’s put it like this; if this year you want to bring in 500 foreign IT specialists and 500 foreign health professionals, then chuck out 500 failed Nigerian asylum applicants and 500 of the illegal Chinese to make room for them.

Other countries have suffered race problems in recent times. There were race riots in France not too long ago. Do you think Ireland is heading down a similar path if the levels of immigration continue?

Of course we are going to have similar problems if the levels of immigration continue. Why would it be different in Ireland to any of the other European countries where "multiculturalism", a.k.a. mass immigration, has caused such problems? It might or might not take the form of riots. It might be a sullen, resentful, angry indigenous population which sees itself reduced to one of many patches on a patchwork quilt instead of a people with its own country.

What will Ireland be like twenty years from now?

That depends on us and those we elect. Now, why do I find that a depressing thought…

There's an argument that the Irish for a long time went to other countries in search of employment and a new life and that now it's our turn to provide for other nationalities. What would be your thoughts on that view?

This line of thinking is a uniquely Irish insanity. No other people in Europe talks like this. One hears "the Irish went all over the world". They didn’t actually. Is there a major Irish demographic in Nigeria, Romania or China? They went essentially to America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, "the countries of permanent settlement" as they are known; as did people from all over Europe. These countries were treated as "empty" lands to be filled up from abroad. A great deal of our emigration was to Britain, which all through the 19th century and part of the 20th century was not emigration at all but migration within the state (UK) and subsequently Britain chose to have a common travel and residential area between us.

Look at the masses who emigrated from Southern Italy. Do the Italians go around saying "we Italians should open our borders"? I think not. A lot of Irish people don’t realise that Germans were great emigrants. Between 1850 and 1900 they were never less than a quarter of all emigrants to the US. Could you imagine telling a German that Germany therefore owes it to the world to open up her borders? Frankly, I’d really like to be present for that!

The only other European country with as big an emigrant history as ours is Norway. I holidayed there in summer of 2002. Poor Norway was dealing with an asylum assault like our own and many of them were deeply unhappy about it. I asked our guide, a well-informed third-level lecturer, if he heard in Norway a similar line to the one you mentioned above. He seemed astonished by it and said "No one in Norway says that". This is a daftness unique to us. What do we owe the Nigerians? Nothing. The Romanians? Nothing. The Chinese? Nothing. We owe them one thing only – to respect their sovereignty and not breach their borders. A pity they don’t show us that respect.

Perhaps the strongest argument for continued immigration is the economic argument. Why limit the levels of immigration when it seems to be benefiting our economy? Ireland, Sweden and the UK opened their borders to the ten new member states for example and all seem to be doing rather well from it.

This is very glib and very questionable. The fact that it benefits an employer does not mean that it benefits the country as a whole. Hypothetically, you could double your population and you would expect to roughly double the size of the national cake but you would have twice as many people eating into it. It need not make you or your blogreaders one cent better off. It may just add hours to your commute, add to housing pressure etc.

Also, if employers bring in low-paid immigrants the tax-payers will have to pick up the slack with subsidised housing, medical cards, family income supplement etc.

To quote from a recent report from the National Economic and Social Council "immigration tends to have a positive effect on total GNP, but its effects on GNP per head is uncertain." our aim was always to see full employment for our own people. Where is the point in creating jobs here for foreigners? Those jobs should be where the workers are. Again, NESC says we should modify our goal "to focus more on the overall employment rate and the employability of individuals rather than the absolute level of job creation".

What will the legacy of immigration be for Ireland?

It depends how far it goes. Immigration is like most things in life. A little is fine; a lot is problematic.

Next week, Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte takes my questions. Be sure to keep clicking in to United Irelander for a firsthand look at Irish political life.

Previous interviews can be read here.

I've been a fan of Stephen Colbert (pictured left) ever since I first saw him on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. I was aware that he had been given his own TV show, The Colbert Report, due to his impressive performances on the show but I'd no idea that he had caused a big storm over in the States over comments he made about George W. Bush.

Colbert was the featured entertainer for the 2006 White House Correspondent's Association Dinner and he gave a satirical speech whilst portraying his conservative character from The Colbert Report. Several of Bush's aides and supporters walked out during Colbert's speech, and one former aide said that the President had "that look that he's ready to blow."

Here's a snippet from Colbert's speech that has tongues wagging:

"I stand by this man. I stand by this man because he stands for things. Not only for things, he stands on things. Things like aircraft carriers and rubble and recently flooded city squares. And that sends a strong message, that no matter what happens to America, she will always rebound—with the most powerfully staged photo ops in the world."

You can watch the speech for yourself on Google Video here.

I've watched the speech and I thought it was funny. Not hilarious...but funny enough. Some critics have claimed he "bombed" and that the crowd was dead. I thought Time magazine's TV critic James Poniewozik put it best though when she said:

"Colbert wasn't playing to the room, I suspect, but to the wide audience of people who would later watch on the Internet. If anything, he was playing against the room."

I agree. The speech made strong points and rattled feathers. Maybe that's why the Republicans didn't laugh. Did he touch on some uncomfortable home truths?

I liked Jon Stewart's response to suggestions that Colbert may have gone over the line:

"apparently he was under the impression that they'd hired him to do what he does every night on television."

Just in case I'm being too harsh on oul' Dubya though I also came across the hilarious speech he gave with the impersonator Steve Bridges. I think he's the guy who does skits with Jay Leno now and again. Anyway, this is a must-see. Who knew Bush could be so funny? Intentionally funny I mean. I loved Bush's comments on Cheney. Excellent delivery too. You can watch it all below:

Here's an issue I felt compelled to write about.

New figures from the Department of Transport have revealed the full extent of the fiasco surrounding driving tests in Ireland.

Reports yesterday morning said figures showed that one fifth of motorists were driving on provisional licences and one in every seven of these had spent at least eight years on the road WITHOUT PASSING a test.

The number waiting to sit their tests is also reportedly increasing rather than falling, with 12,000 people on the waiting list at one Dublin testing centre. Labour Party TD Róisín Shorthall said that the figures highlighted the urgent need for a major overhaul of testing procedures:

"There needs to be enough testers put in place in order to deal with the demand that's there."

Minister for Transport Martin Cullen has announced plans to privatise some driving tests, but this is vehemently opposed by existing testers. The Civil Service Arbitration Board has also ruled that any attempt by the Government to force through the privatisation will be a breach of social partnership unless it has the agreement of trade unions.

What can you say? This is ridiculous. It seems that the people who run this country are intent on turning this place into a laughing stock. Not only will next year's election be decided on the most flawed Electoral Register in the history of the State, but we also have a situation where people who have FAILED, yes FAILED, their driving tests are, well, driving!

I used this example in a previous post - Can you imagine a situation where a medical student fails his/her medical exam and is issued with a provisional doctor's license? Would you allow such a doctor to perform surgery on you? Would you place your life in their hands?

But yet in this country powerful machines are manned by people who are simply unqualified to use them. Ridiculous!

What a joke this place is fast becoming. The motto for driving tests in Ireland seems to be, 'If at first you don't succeed...who cares, here's your provisional license.'

Forget tyres, heads should role over this kind of nonsense.

I see the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has been busy sucking up to his masters in Brussels.

In a speech last night to mark Europe Day (whatever the hell that's about) the Taoiseach said the European Union was still the best way forward for Ireland despite its imperfections, frustrations and jargon.

Fair enough you might say but then the undemocratic nature of the speech was brought to bear when he disgracefully called for the revival of the European Constitution - which has been REJECTED by French and Dutch voters - and which apparently has the support of a paltry 15% of the country!

Ahern implored:

"The European Union is very far from perfect. I know that better than most. For many years I have had to deal with its imperfections, its frustration and its jargon.

"But there is no part of the world in which we could be more fortunate to live." (So why change things and make them our masters?)

"It continues to expand its membership to embrace a growing family of democratic nations in a world where the frontiers of democracy risk being rolled back." (More and more nation-states to dominate, eh?)

He then regretably reiterated his belief in the importance of the stalled European Constitution, which he was involved in negotiating during Ireland's EU presidency (for which he should be ashamed):

"The European Constitution is the right choice for Europe."

It's not Bertie and you know it.

"It is the right choice for Ireland."

It isn't.

"The Dáil will devote a full day of its business to European issues tomorrow to celebrate Europe Day and the European Commission Representation in Ireland will be hosting a lunchtime cultural street party on South King Street in Dublin, with up to 20 European countries showcasing their traditions, culture and food.The commission is also sending its information team on an EU bus, which will be travelling the streets of Dublin, stopping in key locations in the city centre to give out useful EU information."

Wow that's super but none of those fancy European meals can justify robbing Ireland of its voice in the EU and allowing this state to be at the mercy of France, Germany et al.

Ahern seems content to prostitute this country's sovereignty so he can get a lot of euros and get his back slapped but I'm confident that the rest of the Irish people will resist his efforts to turn this great country into the whore of Europe.

I found it a curious coincidence that while the Irish government tries to get us all excited over today's 'Europe Day' (puke), it was on this day back in 1932 that Eamon de Valera and Fianna Fáil got elected to Dáil Eireann for the first time in their history.

How times have changed for the party since then, eh?

In my opinion de Valera was the greatest Taoiseach this country has ever seen and his devotion to the Irish nation was admirable.

I can't help but think though that if he were around today he would be utterly disgusted at the attitude of today's Taoiseach Bertie Ahern who seems to have open contempt for Irish sovereignty and a stubborn willingness to make us a part of a European superstate - whether we like it or not!

Dev wouldn't have put up with this BS from Brussels in the way Ahern has. That ladies and gentlemen is the difference between the two men.

De Valera was a patriot. Ahern is a puppet.

I had written a much longer post on this incident but I didn't want people to get the wrong end of the stick and think that I was trying to make some sort of political point by featuring it on UI. As well as that it's just a deeply distressing story and it's difficult to really write about it to a great extent.

All I would like to say is that I hope there are no retaliation strikes as a result of this poor boy's death because it will not achieve anything of benefit. I have no doubt that the majority of people in Ballymena, regardless of their faith, will be disgusted and appalled about this tragic loss of life.

My thoughts and prayers are with the boy's family.

I see the Sunday Tribune is reporting that Sinn Fein may be involved in electoral fraud if a senior Fianna Fail backbencher is to be believed.

Sean Ardagh (pictured left), Dublin South-Central TD and chairman of the Joint Oireachtas Justice Committee, has written to environment minister Dick Roche asking him to fully investigate a "major abuse of the register and voting in recent elections" at a named flat complex in his constituency.

The letter, sent in February, says that there were 131 people on the register in the complex at the time of the 2004 local elections who were not on the tenant records of Dublin City Council.

Ardagh also alleges that, at the time, there were three people on the register at a flat, occupied by a Sinn Fein figure, who were not on the council's tenant records.

Ardagh told Roche that he believed that this was "only the tip of the problem", adding that the problem "exists in major flat complexes throughout the city of Dublin".

Sinn Féin have hit back though with a Sinn Fein spokeswoman stating the allegations are "incorrect".

She said there was a problem with the electoral register and, at the time of the local elections, development work was going on at the flat complex in question, with people moving in and out. While Sinn Fein had done extensive work with community groups to encourage people to register and vote, nobody should be on the register who wasn't entitled to be, she added.

The Sinn Fein figure referred to in the letter yesterday accused Ardagh of engaging in "throwing mud" and "playing for publicity". He insisted there were just three people on the register at the flat he had lived in at the complex . . . himself, his brother and his mother . . . and that only he and his brother voted in the election.

Ardagh said this weekend that, while he was pointing the finger directly at Sinn Fein, he was not saying that "this is the most horrible thing" that had ever been done:

"A lot that has been done probably happened with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael at the genesis of those parties. It's a process that a party goes through, but they [Sinn Fein] have to understand that it's not the thing to do."

The allegations . . . which have been passed by Minister Roche to the franchise and tenant sections of Dublin City Council bring into the open an issue that many politicians have privately been complaining about.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny clearly referred to the issue in the Dail last week, asking the Taoiseach if he agreed "that one party represented in the House has been and is actively involved in wholesale fraudulent activity in regard to the electoral register?"

The Taoiseach mentioned a house in his constituency that had 80 people registered at the address. The comments prompted an angry response from Sinn Fein's Caoimhghin O Caolain:

"I am quite sick, sore and tired of the continued slur against the party I am proud to represent by Aherns of any variety and the Kennys of this world who suggest that I and my colleagues are here by any other means than as a result of the democratic choice of our communities and constituencies."

Hmm. Seems like this is creating quite a stir in Leinster House. I don't really know what to make of this. I commented on the current electoral farce last Thursday and I laid the blame squarely at Fianna Fáil but could Sinn Féin be up to no good?

Or is this perhaps an effort by a Fianna Fáil TD to deflect blame away from his party and on to Sinn Féin? Is it merely a case of electioneering?

What say you?

I've made Fine Gael a central theme here on United Irelander today in light of their recent Ard Fheis. I must say I've been very impressed with what Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny had to say as well as the policies his party are ready to implement if elected. I especially like the emphasis on crime and healthcare as in my opinion it's in these areas that this government has underperformed the most.

I'm interested now in your views of Fine Gael after they set their stall out at their Ard Fheis. Should they be elected along with Labour instead of the current FF/PD coalition? Have they failed to win you over? Or are you still undecided? I've added a poll to United Irelander which asks the question:

Should Fine Gael be returned to power?

Please take the time to vote in the poll and explain your opinions in the comments section of this post. My own view, at this moment in time, is that Fine Gael and Labour should be in power after the next election. We've had the current coalition for too long and it's time for a change. I think Fine Gael's policies are sound and that they can improve the standard of living for Irish citizens.

What do you think though?

I see the PDs are a bit unhappy with Fine Gael's policies on tackling crime at the party's 73rd Ard Fheis.

Progressive Democrats TD Liz O’Donnell said proposals to tag offenders while on bail was a populist stunt and that the proposals may be unconstitutional. She added that legislation was already in place for electronic tagging where appropriate. Speaking on the proposals she commented:

"Sorry, but I don’t even think the Labour Party would agree with that. That’s nonsense. We have legislation for that."

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny told the Ard Fheis that 11,000 serious crimes like robbery, rape and murder were committed by offenders while out on bail in the past two years and Fine Gael Senator Brian Hayes backed the party's stance:

"Enda Kenny is absolutely right to put this issue back on the agenda again. It is absolutely right that people who commit serious offences, that the state should know exactly where they are 24/7."

Senator Hayes added an amendment to the Constitution should be passed if required to pass the law.

In his presidential address in Dublin’s CityWest Hotel, Mr Kenny claimed people were losing faith with a legal system which protected the rights of criminals:

"They’re tagged, the people are safer. When the law and order party is back in power, the thugs will be out of business," he told delegates.

He also vowed to change the law so that homeowners couldn’t be sued if they tackled intruders on their property. Judges will base sentencing on the impact of the offender’s crimes on the victims, he suggested:

"I want our judges to be more accountable to the people. I want them to be the people’s representatives."

He also proposed that the Oireachtas decide the range of sentences for each serious crime and judges must explain their reasons in open court if they deviate from this:

"This protects judicial independence but makes the system more transparent, the judges more accountable."

Despite the discomfort from the PDs, I must say I wholeheartedly endorse all these proposals. I've said time and time again that too much consideration is given to the perpetrators of crime rather than the victims. In light of what happened with Padriag Nally, I do feel we need to ensure that homeowners can't be sued for defending their property and families.

I too would be willing to amend the constitution to allow for the tagging of offenders. If 11,000 serious crimes occurred whilst people were on bail then this needs to be corrected.

What are your thoughts on the law and order proposals?

The following is a speech by Dinny McGinley TD, Fine Gael Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Spokesperson at the Fine Gael Ard Fheis on improving the state of the national tongue.

Tell us what you think of Mr McGinley's views:

Introduction

I wish to thank all those who have contributed to this motion.

Many of today’s speakers have spoken eloquently on this issue and it is crystal clear that there is a real desire to see the Irish language thrive throughout the country.

As a fluent speaker, the Irish language is an integral part of my identity. I communicate through it on a daily basis and receive a tremendous amount of joy in doing so. There are thousands of people that do likewise in Ireland but there are many more that do not.

Even lovers of Irish cannot ignore the fact that Irish is in trouble. The majority of the population do not use it in their daily lives and, despite, receiving over 1,500 hours of education in the language many of our young people are leaving school without any reasonable command of Irish.

The Fine Gael Leader, Enda Kenny has already kick-started the debate, outlining his vision to bring Irish into the 21st Century. His radical approach to reforming and reviving Irish is built around a simple goal, equipping our people, and particularly our young people, with a real, a useful, and a communicative knowledge of the Irish language. It is now time to bring that vision to the next level and specify the policies of how, when in Government, Fine Gael will reform and revive Irish.

We need a radically different approach to the Irish language, in both our education system and in society. Above all we need a Government that will produce a National Strategy for the Irish language.

Irish Language Strategy

A Strategy is needed that makes a clear and honest assessment of

• Where we are,
• What the Government wants to achieve for the language,
• What Government can do and what we want and expect others in society to do to support us.

At the moment no such strategy exists. It is true that the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Eamon O’Cuiv, has already established a Language Advisory Committee. However, this Committee has no real role. It has no power to issue a Report or recommendations. Instead it will report to him as to whether or not he should develop a strategy. How can the language survive and thrive if it has no long-term direction?

The future of the language cannot and will not be served by a toothless talking-shop. Irish needs a National Strategy will ensure that all bodies and all initiatives working for the Irish language have a clearly defined role and a clear sense of purpose.

This Strategy would be formulated by a Committee nominated by the Minister and would be representative of all interested bodies, from the Gaeltacht and non-Gaeltacht areas. The Strategy would set out recommendations to be enacted by the Government for the future development of the language, over the next 20 years.

In particular, the Strategy would be tasked with retaining and preserving Gaeltacht Areas, developing and promoting the Gael Scoil movement; marketing and promoting the language and bringing forward measures to develop the Irish language amongst the general public.

The Strategy will form the blueprint of our ambitious plans taking the long-view and bringing Irish firmly into the 21st century and beyond.

Irish and Our Education System

Our education system is the silver bullet in the fight to renew Irish. Enda Kenny has already talked about immersing primary students in the language, overhauling second-level syllabuses by introducing oral exams at Junior Cert level, offering Irish as an optional subject at Leaving Cert level, changing the focus of the language to a more modern and spoken tint and setting up a new subject, Communicating through Irish.

But we need to go further.

The Government needs to increase its investment to Gael Scoileanna. Too often the Dept. of Education will only become involved in providing school buildings and other educational facilities after communities have spent years struggling to get Gael Scoileanna up and running. This is not acceptable.

One of the long running difficulties with education through the Irish language is the critical shortage of educational publications in Irish. Very little progress has been made in making available a wide choice of educational material in the Irish language. Fine Gael in Government will address this as a matter of urgency.

Finally, I can’t emphasis enough the power a modern syllabus can have on the language. Modernising it to make it more relevant for students and teachers with more emphasis on ability to speak the language will be the first priority for a Fine Gael Government.

Promotion of Irish Among the General Population

While we encourage the use and promotion of Irish among our student population, we need to develop more innovative and imaginative means of encouraging the increased use of Irish among the general Irish adult population. Most Irish adults have basic Irish and they should be encouraged to use it more often.

We also need to recognise that Ireland has now become a multi-cultural place and with thousands of new immigrants coming to live and work in Ireland we need to think how we can promote the Irish language among such new communities. Many of these new arrivals on our shores are parents who would like to learn Irish, for their own interest and also to help their children. We need to examine how we can assist these individuals, with special classes and tuition if necessary.

Fine Gael has supported the campaign to have Irish recognised as an official EU language. We must now ensure that qualified personnel are available and trained to meet the demands of the EU in implementing the policy of having Irish as an official language. The last Annual Report of the Irish Language Commissioner highlights the failure of the Government to provide services in the language to its citizens. Fine Gael in Government will address this problem and ensure that every citizen will have the right of conducting his or her business in the language of choice.

Language Tourism

Our tourism market can also benefit massively from language reform. The Irish language also offers a huge untapped potential, in attracting both domestic and international tourism for those who wish to study and learn the Irish language. The expansion of language tourism must be targeted not just at school students, but also to adults, both Irish and international.

As a representative from a Gaeltacht area, I am aware of the massive problems with declining job opportunities in many of these areas. Increase tourism will allow for the development of spin-off businesses in Gaeltacht areas, particularly areas which have been badly affected by the decline in traditional manufacturing industries and this is a massive ancillary benefit.

Job Creation and Údarás na Gaeltachta

Finally FG believes that the powers and functions of Údarás na Gaeltachta needs to be reassessed and reformed. It must strive to promote job creation by moving with the times and creating employment, which is centred away from traditional manufacturing to more innovative and technology based creation. It also needs to do more to help smaller entrepreneurs. The plethora of job losses in Gaeltacht areas, particularly Donegal, highlights the need to move away from traditional industry to modern services based industries, such as telecommunication or pharmaceutical. Critical to this aim, I believe is the provision of reliable broadband and other IT services for Gaeltacht areas.

Conclusion

There can be a bright future for the Irish language but only if a Government has the courage and the vision to implement necessary reforms and pursue far-reaching policies.

Fine Gael has that courage and that vision.

We want to see a population in love with its language and a language thriving in its population. Fianna Fáil has had its chance to renew and revive Irish and refuse to do so, only a change of Government will see the vital reforms put in place.

Fine Gael’s radical, ambitious programme for Irish will see it change. Change, for the better.

ENDS

I now present to you another post with some more good proposals from Fine Gael which are attacked by the PDs. This time it's in relation to health.

Progressive Democrats TD Tim O'Malley (pictured left) has blasted Fine Gael's excellent proposal to fine Accident & Emergency drunks by labelling it a 'perversion of medical ethics' and an attack on patients with mental health conditions.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny told the party's Ard Fheis:

"Get the drunks out of A&E. Put the weekend warriors into drunk tanks. Fine them. Hit them where it hurts, in their pockets."

However Tim O'Malley doesn't like the idea and he warned:

"Suggesting that fines should be imposed on intoxicated persons in A&Es would pervert medical practice and show a total disregard for people with mental health problems.

"Every person presenting at A&E is a patient, no matter what their circumstances. The fundamental duty of doctors, nurses and hospitals is to treat patients according to medical need.

"But Enda Kenny now promises they will be required to hit patients where it hurts. This is a perversion of medical ethics."

I think that's a bunch of baloney. We're faced with a health crisis right now. Good people are forced to wait around on trolleys - an issue which O'Malley's party leader Mary Harney must be held accountable for - and a lot of time is spent dealing with drunken idiots who don't have any degree of personal responsibility. I support Enda Kenny's plans to hit these people where it hurts. O'Malley is spouting a load of waffle.

In other healthcare related policies, Mr Kenny called for 15 Urgent Care Centres to be set up around the country and free GP care to every child under five years old. He also promised Fine Gael will use public land to build public beds and would start with 600 step-down beds in Dublin.

As far as I'm concerned these are all excellent ideas. In a direct message to the Taoiseach on the health services, Mr Kenny said:

"I believe that any government of this country that cannot look after the health of its people – does not deserve to be in power, and does not deserve to be returned to power."

Amen to that. Readers will know that I have been calling for a change of government while at the same time stressing that there doesn't seem to be an alternative. If Mr Kenny keeps this up then I think he will provide that alternative we so badly need.

In contrast Tim O'Malley highlights, to me anyway, that the PDs are a spent force and need to go ASAP!

What kind of father would take his own daughter's rights away,
And what kind of father might hate his own daughter if she were gay,
I can only imagine what the first lady has to say,
You've come a long way from whiskey and cocaine.

The above lyrics are from a song called Dear Mr. President by the singer Pink and I was interested to learn that a 10 year-old schoolgirl in America named Molly Shoul, pictured above, has been banned from performing the song at her elementary school talent show in Coral Springs, Florida, because her principal deemed the song inappropriate and too political.

The song is an anti-Bush ballad questioning the US President's stance on a number of issues ranging from Iraq to gay rights (you can read the lyrics in full here) and Molly said the song's message resonated with her:

"He should listen to people a lot more than just his secretary and other people in the government branch and stuff like that."

However Molly was informed the song was inappropriate:

"I went to her office and she said it was too political.

"The word gay wouldn't be appropriate and the words whiskey and cocaine and stuff like that."

Park Springs Elementary Principal Camille Pontillo has refused to comment on the issue but a Broward County School District official said the principal had the right to determine what music her students could hear at a school function:

"This is a fifth-grade student that wants to perform a song filled with lyrics about drug use, war, abortion, gay rights and profanity.

"This is an elementary school that includes kindergarteners and pre-K students."

In actual fact the song's lyrics don't mention abortion and no profanity is used unless one regards "hell" as a profanity.

Molly's mother, Nancy, who is a high school teacher herself, has lashed out at the decision to ban her child from performing the song and has claimed the ban violates her daughter’s right to free speech:

"If this was a student singing a pro-administration song, no one would quibble with it.

"The principal is just running scared and doesn’t want to upset any parents.

"To me it sort of bordered on censorship."

Molly and her mother are taking the issue to the superintendent in hopes that they will get a different response.

Molly said she still wants students to hear the message in the song and she'll keep practicing. She has a back-up number though - a hip-hop tune about a boyfriend cheating on his girlfriend.

I must say I find this story deeply disappointing. One of the most important aspects of a democracy is the ability to express your views, even if they are unpalatable to others.

The excuse that this song was "inapproprite" seems like a bunch of baloney to me. I wouldn't object if it was a 50 Cent song and contained plenty of vulgarity but I see nothing wrong with the lyrics of this particular song.

And anyway, over here kids can turn on the BBC at 7:30 and catch Eastenders where they can come across some of the most depressing, demoralising aspects of real life you could ever imagine!

I suspect the little girl's mother is bang on the money. The Principal didn't want to upset the Bush backers and thus chose to dismiss one of the most important principles in the United States of America - freedom of speech.

Let the girl perform the song for pity's sake.

I see the Irish Nurses Organisation has unanimously passed a motion of no confidence in the Tánaiste and Minister for Health, Mary Harney at their annual conference in Cavan.

During a 50-minute debate, nurses accused the Tánaiste of failing the patients and nurses working in the healthcare system. Ms Harney was also accused of promoting private healthcare.

The INO General Secretary, Liam Doran, (pictured above) urged the minister to talk to the nurses rather than at them.

The motion comes following the minister's rejection of the nurses' demands for increased pay and shorter working hours.

It highlights what the INO says is the failure of her ten-point plan to ease overcrowding in the country's accident and emergency units.

The motion also highlights what the INO claims is Ms Harney's negative and antagonistic attitude towards nurses and what it sees as a lack of clarity in how to address the problems facing the health service.





Flop


I welcome this motion of no confidence in the Tanaiste. The healthcare system in this country is an absolute shambles and in my eyes it is the biggest blot on this Government's record in power.

It seems Ms Harney isn't bothered about the opinions of the nurses however as the Irish Examiner has reported that she has dismissed the vote of no confidence.

In a statement issued after the vote, Ms Harney described it as "a pity" and said it would not change her determination "to achieve the world-class health service that Ireland deserves".

So basically she's decided to continue closing her eyes and covering her ears over the health crisis in this country.

The real "pity" here is that we have a government in power that seems to acknowledge the problems we face but yet at the same time has no clue what to do about them!

Roll on 2007 I say!

I was delighted to learn that the EU Constitution, the document which poses a grave threat to Irish sovereignty as well as the sovereignty of countless other European nation-states, has suffered a dramatic loss of support right here in Ireland.

The figures contained in the latest Eurobaromoter survey show that support for the EU Constitution now stands at just 15% - it once stood at 78% with Irish voters.

Quite a large drop then!

In other news, two thirds of people (68%) in Ireland think membership of the EU is a good thing.

I personally wouldn't regard our membership of this rotten Union as a "good thing" but I would grudgingly accept that there are economic advantages to be had for Ireland from being inside as opposed to being outside.

The important thing here however is that the EU Constitution is on its knees. It is not dead yet though by any means and if the corrupt cronies in Brussels have their way, then we here in Ireland will have to deal with this pathetic document at some stage.

I am encouraged nonetheless that the bureaucrats will be faced with quite a fight on their hands when they try to pry Irish sovereignty from the hands of the Irish electorate.

Non, no, nein, ní dóigh liom é. You can say it however you like but the message remains the same - we don't want your damn constitution!

Here's an interesting email I got the other day from a Mrs Rose Newyear informing me that I have - no joke - won the lottery! Well...the 'Mixon Email Lottery' but still...

Permit me to highlight the letter from this sweet Rose who seems to have all my best interests at heart bless her:

"Dear sir/Madam,

GOOD NEWS

"From a total of 16 winners every year, this is to inform you that your email address has drawn a winning prize of US$2M (Two Million Dollars for you from a total of 30 million email addresses compiled from all over the world for this competition put together by MIXON COMPANY, a registered U.K. bulk email addresses marketer. This competition is a COMPENSATION for the unauthorised use/marketing of all emails addresses used by MIXON COMPANY without the said owners consent.

Wow I don't know what to say! Thank you kind stranger! Thank you! It continues:

"Due to the fact that we do not know the winners by names, locations, address and where from, we have therefore shared the 16 winners into 4 regions/zones (A,B,C and D). Further more your email address falls within our the AFRICAN representative office in Abuja, which indicated in your play coupon and your prize of US$2,000,000.00 will be released to you from the regional branch office ABUJA which region/zone B."

Funny how it's often an 'African' representative isn't it? Those Germans seem quite efficient so why not let them to do the work? Oh right it was the luck of the draw, wasn't it? Silly me.

"For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information confidential until your claims is processed and your money remitted to you in whatever manner you deem it fit to claim your prize."

Oh bollocks. I'm after telling people about this before I informed you guys. Don't tell me there's a chance I won't get this money now?

"This is part of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program by any winner. Please be warned. Our fudiciary agent on the category you are grouped in will immediately commence the process to facilitate the release of your funds to you as soon as you contact him. So, for the processing of your payment, you are to simply contact (our fudiciary agent) your zonal officer with the following information.

Name: Mr. Frederick Owens
Email: fredowns44 -at- winning.com
Tel: 2348026863328

Good oul' Fred, eh? I'm sure he's an honest enough chap. Do you think he accepts credit cards?

"All claims must be made and completed within two weeks of contact to avoid too much exposing of winning notification by winners. MIXON COMPANY reserves the sole rights to disqualify any winners on any basis of misconducts or disobedience of claim protocols All claims instructions must be strictly followed by all winners."

Oh dear I haven't strictly followed the instructions. Now I'm really worried I won't get my $2m!

"Your winning number is (98543565) your batch number is (RE767484543344SN). Please be informed that to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please quote your winning/batch numbers in any correspondences with our designated agents or us."

I trust dear reader you won't take my money on me!

"Congratulations on your winning,

Mrs. Rose Newyear,
Winners Announcer,
Mixon Email Company
(Bulk Email Marketers)
Copyright © 1994-2006 The Mixon Inc

GOD BLESS THE QUEEN"

Honestly it really does finish with that!

Now I'm choked up as I write this because $2m is a life-changing sum of money and I really don't know what to say so I'll simply say this:

Fred Owens, Rose Newyear...please go and shove your mind-numbingly stupid, grammar-retarded shithole scam up your holes you pathetic sad bastards.

It lacks a certain eloquence I'll admit but I feel it will suffice.

Pictured left: Orangeman and Shankill Butcher Eddie McIlwaine, carrying a bannerette with a picture of UVF leader Brian Robinson, accompanies Shankill Protestant Boys colour party with UVF flags on the Springfield Road 28th June 2003 in open defiance of the Parades Commission ruling.

Hey, here's another scandal involving the Orange Order!

DUP member Don McKay, who was first appointed to the Parades Commission by British Secretary of State Peter Hain last November, is facing calls for his resignation after he told a public meeting he was fighting for the Orange cause "inside the fence".

Mr McKay, who is supposed to be independent in outlook, also urged Orangemen who attended a public meeting of the Commission in Portadown "not to give in":

"From a unionist perspective, we have got to have faith in what we believe in and take the battle forward."

Yeah he sounds really independent, don't you think?

Chairman of the Parades Commission Roger Poole was given the hard task of trying to defend Mr McKay's silly comments last night on Hearts and Minds, which you can see for yourself here, and his defence centred around the idea that DUP man McKay just got a bit carried away. Yes according to Mr Poole:

"I think what Don was saying was very clear, to me at any rate if not to the audience, and that is that he was bringing his experience as an orangeman to the Commission."

Eh? Was that "very clear" to you from Mr McKay's comments above? It sure as hell wasn't to me. "Take the battle forward" McKay said. Blimey he sure takes his "experience" very seriously doesn't he?

Sinn Féin have lashed out at Mr Poole for 'defending the indefensible' and Sinn Féin's John O'Dowd wants McKay's resignation:

"Nationalists had little or no faith in this man in the past but this latest statement makes his position totally untenable."

This view was echoed by the SDLP's Dolores Kelly who demanded Mr McKay's immediate removal:

"Not only is this man guilty of slight of hand in his application to the commission, he is also not independent or impartial.

"He is committed to a partisan orange agenda.

"He shouldn't have been appointed to the Parades Commission. Now he must resign from it."

Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition spokesman Breandan MacCionnaith said Mr McKay could no longer be viewed as a credible commissioner:

"Don McKay's comments further demonstrate his unsuitability and complete lack of impartiality."

Garvaghy Road residents are currently in the midst of a legal challenge against the NIO's appointments procedures to the Commission. They claim that the appointments of Mr McKay and fellow Portadown orangeman David Burrows were government concessions to the DUP.

I have to agree with the nationalists. Mr McKay's position is untenable. His credibility has been left in tatters and it's unacceptable for the Orange Order to have been told they have someone "inside the fence".

What happened to impartiality? Perhaps Roger Poole knows. Then again, I doubt he does.

Mr McKay needs to leave the Parades Commision immediately. He can take his damn "experience" with him as well.

I was delighted to hear that dozens of black and Asian boys and girls have taken up Gaelic football in England.

The BBC report that about 20,000 school children in England's west Midlands have started playing GAA as part of a UK government plan to get young people off the sofa and onto the playing fields.

Since the year 2000, schools with enthusiastic Irish teachers have used the programme to introduce Gaelic games to the curriculum.

It has been scoring ever since, with 4,000 playing every year since then.

Leighton Padotan, who is from South Africa and now mentors kids in the west Midlands, said:

"I think it's really brilliant, the way an Irish game links so many different ethnic backgrounds. Especially in our school: a socially deprived school.

"The kids are from different ethnic minority backgrounds - loads of different nationalities and languages - but they take to the game very quickly."

Becky Daley, 16, who has won an All-Ireland under-14s skills medal had this to say:

"It's a sport everyone can play.

"It's easy to pick up and it doesn't exclude people. Anyone who wants to can play it, if they enjoy it."

One of the driving forces behind the popularity of the game is Dublin-born teacher Brian Roberts but he is exasperated at the limited support he is receiving from all quarters:

"Without the appropriate funding, our scheme won't be able to continue. Croke Park does help us financially to a certain extent, but we're also looking for local business and agencies to put finance behind us.

"At the end of the day, the sport's not going to continue if you can't afford to put a ball in the hand of a kid or put on some tournament at the end of an eight week training period."

I must say I'm delighted to see Gaelic games taking off in these areas of England. Regardless of what one thinks of the GAA, and I've been critical of them myself in the past, the bottom line is that the Gaelic games themselves are enjoyable sports. (Though personally I've never enjoyed hurling...)

I'd be disappointed if people like Brian Roberts weren't given more backing by the GAA because this type of thing needs to be encouraged.

We're all aware of course about how the majority of unionists find Gaelic games anathema but I hope at some point in the future they will endeavour to give it a chance like these kids in England have done.

These English children don't look on the sport as having political connotations and the same was true of myself when I played GAA in school as a boy.

It's a bit of fun and it can bring communities together. Isn't that the kind of thing that NI needs?

Fact: Tug of War was an Olympic event between 1900 and 1920.

I think the British should bring back this event when they host the 2012 games. I think Ireland would do pretty well in that event...

Blogger has informed me that this is my 2,000th post here on United Irelander. It feels good to get to this point. I guess it's not as important as say, the 1,000th post, but the way I look at it, if we here in Ireland can mark a 90th anniversary then celebrating United Irelander's 2,000th post is fine and dandy!

I figured I should try and write something special for the occasion and so I felt for my 2,000th post I would reflect on some of the things I've personally discovered from my experience blogging:

1) Blogging is ridiculously addictive. I try and stay away but it keeps drawing me back. You've probably figured that out yourselves seeing as this is my 2,000th post. When I go on my holidays this summer I am going to miss blogging.

2) Blogging about NI can be very frustrating. Sometimes it can make you feel like you're banging your head against a brick wall.

3) Banging your head against a brick wall is strangely compelling though.

4) I'm never wrong. See point 3.

5) The ones who claim to not give a damn about my views are invariably the ones who take the most time analysing them and trying to prove them wrong.

6) On United Irelander, just like most nationalist/unionist blogs, whataboutery is as common as vomit on St Patrick's Day.

7) I can be pretty good at winding people up. The same is true of a lot of United Irelander's visitors.

8) My experiences with getting interviews with politicians for my Words on Wednesday features has shown me that there are a lot of very decent politicians out there...as well as a lot of lying muppets.

9) Jo and Jacqui are the same person (you know I'm right).

10) Writing about a United Ireland is fun - even for those who oppose one.

11) Google Ads are way overrated.

12) Coming up with lists like this is hard. I hate Tuesdays.

13) I tend to write things in the images of my posts that can be read only by hovering your mouse over them. I'm still not sure if anyone actually reads them though...

14) I don't regret any of my 2,000 posts. As Henry Kissinger once said, "Accept everything about yourself - I mean everything, You are you and that is the beginning and the end - no apologies, no regrets."

15) It's not the 2,000 posts that make this place, it's the people who comment here. I hate none of you, respect all of you and thank you for your contribution.

Thanks for reading.

I see the Government, and in particular the Minister for the Environment Dick Roche, are sweating profusely now after the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern last night told the Dáil that the electoral system could be open to voter fraud if the register is not properly updated before the next General Election.

In a farcical state of affairs (no pun intended), it has emerged that 17,000 people eligible to vote in the Dublin South-East constituency are not registered and a further 15,000 people who have died or moved from the area are still on the register.

Mr Ahern told TDs that local authority officials and Census enumerators would have to go door-to-door to update the Electoral Register:

"I am afraid it will have to be a shank’s mare exercise, which is the only way we will get a good register.

"We need to take on that challenge this year. Otherwise, with far too many people on the register, it is open to voter fraud."

Mr Ahern added that there were houses in his own constituency where up to 80 people were registered.

Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte said Environment Minister Dick Roche (pictured above) should not be blaming local authorities as the responsibility rested with his department.

Mr Ahern replied that the Electoral Acts give powers to Mr Roche who then delegates them to the local authorities.

Mr Rabbitte summed things up in a fashion that was as fitting as it was funny:

"The Taoiseach spent Easter paying homage to the founders of the state. He is now administering a state where we cannot even have the right to vote, although he admits that he provides for the dead generations to vote. How are we supposed to take this seriously?"

Indeed. It seems only in this country could this kind of incompetent boobery take place.

As if that wasn't worrying enough for the Government, the Irish Examiner has reported on a warning from Labour Party TD Eamon Gilmore that the Government might be forced to pay out compensation to voters if they are denied their constitutional right to vote.

I think it's really embarrassing beyond belief that we are now faced with a situation where, rather than Fianna Fáil asking the electorate for their votes, the electorate are actually asking Fianna Fáil for the right to vote.

Soldiers of destiny? More like debility.

Mick Fealty over at Slugger O'Toole linked to a great clip on Youtube which showed footage from a Belfast Tram Ride in the early twentieth century. It was a fascinating, enlightening glimpse into life in Belfast in 1901.

As good as that was though, I'm going to go one better by giving you a glimpse into life in Dublin right here in 2006. (You'll have to tilt your head to watch it but it'll be worth it)

Ladies and gents I give to you...a drunk dancing to Jamaican music:




God bless this great city.

I see The Committee For The Commemoration Of Irish Famine Victims has called upon the Government to designate an annual day of commemoration to remember the victims of the Famine.

The Committee believe the potato famine to be more important in the state’s history than the 1916 Rising and they feel it should be officially marked by the Government.

The committee has lobbied the GAA, the IFA and the British government on the issue since it was established in 2003.

The Irish government previously marked the 150th anniversary of the Famine in the 1990s and the GAA moved the 1947 All-Ireland finals to the Polo Grounds in New York to honour the centenary.

Dublin City Council will debate a motion calling for an Irish Famine Victims & Emigrants Memorial Day at its monthly meeting on Monday and Commemoration Committee chairman Michael Blanch said:

"Every household on the island has a relative who died in the Famine.

"It was only three generations ago and the victims were both Catholic and Protestant, so a commemoration can build bridges between the two communities.

"Every country remembers disasters in its history whether it is the Holocaust or New York’s 9/11."

Dublin City Council’s motion, which is being proposed by former Lord Mayor Cllr Dermot Lacey, could be later passed by other local authorities if approved in City Hall on Monday.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern suggested in the Dail last year that the Famine could be incorporated into the National Day of Commemoration but Mr Blanch said this specifically remembers dead Irish soldiers, and not civilians which comprised the Famine victims.

He envisages that an annual commemoration could be rotated to Leinster, Munster, Connaght and Ulster on an annual basis.

The Commemoration Committee also believes that the Memorial Day would be a gesture of solidarity towards people suffering in famines occurring in regions across the world like Somalia and Darfur.

It is generally believed that one million people died in the Famine and an additional one million emigrated but Mr Blanch claimed that the disaster could have indirectly halved the population as the all-Ireland population was over eight million in 1845 but had shrunk to four million by the 1911 Census. He added that there are up to 70 million people abroad who claim Irish ancestry – many of whom are descended from Famine emigrants.

My own view on this is that it is a worthy cause and I personally hope the motion gets approval.

While the Committee has stated they would like to commemorate the event annually by rotating it around the four Irish provinces, I would go a step further and get some of the cities in America involved where many of the Irish emigrated. This of course is a key part of the Famine's legacy and the people who went abroad suffered a lot as well. It could be held in cities like Boston and New York. I would also suggest allowing it to be commemorated in areas of Britain where the people emigrated, such as Liverpool.

Overall I think it's for a good cause and it is vital that we remember our history. The Famine is a massive part of this country's history.

What are your thoughts?

Welcome to this week's Words on Wednesday feature here on United Irelander, a concept unique to the Irish blogosphere, which sees me interview various figures from all walks of political life.

Taking my questions this week is Independent Senator Joe O'Toole.

I'd like to thank Mr O'Toole for very kindly taking the time to answer my questions. With that being said, let's begin:

What initially attracted you to political life?

It’s the rule of democracy. Always cast your vote. If you are not attracted to any candidate then encourage someone to stand. If you can’t do that then you have a democratic responsibility to stand yourself.

You have been an independent Senator representing the NUI constituency for the past seventeen years. Talk us through a typical day in your life.

There are no typical days. But overall my time is pretty evenly divided as between legislation, casework, international issues and national issues.
So today for instance, I read the REGISTRATION OF DEEDS BILL; dealt with the citizenship rights of a Russian woman who is the widow of an Irish citizen; researched and prepared speaking notes on the Chinese group Falun Gong whom I address on Saturday and consulted with the Irish Craft Butchers on the impact of recent European directives on their industry.

There was no Committee meetings today which is unusual. In the course of each month there are dozens of such meetings. For instance, I serve on the Leinster House Commission and on the Audit and ICT committees of Leinster House. I am the longest serving Member of the Seanad Committee of Procedures and Privilege.

I am also a member of the Joint Committee on Finance and Public Service and of the Joint Committee on Enterprise and Small Business and I am the Chairperson of the Leinster House Co-operation Ireland Liaison Group.

Outside of the House I am involved in a number of areas but am kept quite busy as Vice Chair of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board [PIAB] and as a member of the Irish Audit and Accountancy Supervisory Authority [IAASA].
…. And the list goes on.

From 2001 to 2003, you served as President of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. How would you rate that experience?

It was both challenging and frustrating. It was satisfying to make progress on some issues such as workers’ rights and pay but with every agreement there is some element of compromise which is always difficult to swallow. There is no doubt that being an independent politician is easier than a Union Rep.

If you could change three things about Irish society, what would you change and why?

Easy question. Free access to all levels of education. Free access to all levels of the law and free access to all levels of a proper health service.

What are your thoughts on a United Ireland?

I believe that a United Ireland would be in the best interests of all citizens on the island but I do not see it happening in the short term. I also believe that an Ireland united in hope, aspiration, tolerance and culture is much more important than a politically united Ireland.

What should be done to improve the situation in NI?

Both the INTO and ICTU are all-Ireland organisations with membership and offices in both jurisdictions. I learned the hard way representing teachers and other workers in the North that not having normal politics is a disaster. The short period when the Assembly operated and the various Departments were under the political leadership of Northern Ireland politicians was the best time. Until we have an elected Assembly operational again there will be no real progress. This must be the priority. The recent decision of the DUP to participate in the British Irish Bodies is a major encouragement.

I was interested in comments you made last year that Protestant working class estates in NI needed to embrace constitutional democratic politics as well as education to improve their standard of living. How can this be achieved in your view?

It’s a slow process of building up trust and confidence. There is no easy way. Trade unionists are majorly involved in bridging the communities and are not distrusted by either side. The fact that, unlike Catholic and Nationalist communities, Protestant and Loyalist communities tend to have less connection with the politicians who purport to represent them is a problem. Involvement in political life is the way forward.

What are your thoughts on the European Union?

I am fully committed to the European project and have none of the irrational fears about losing identity or culture or roots or anything else within Europe. As regards Foreign Policy I believe that Europe should cut links with NATO and the like but I have no problem with Europe having the right and the army to defend itself. I believe we are not honest about this issue. I believe that the concept of neutrality is deliberately misrepresented by many political groups. Neutrality was never intended to be an "I’m all right Jack" passive position. It must be a principled stand. The neutrality which appeals to me is that of those neutrals who went to Spain to fight Franco and Fascism. On the other hand, those who believe we can be proud of the fact that we stood idly by while Hitler murdered millions of Jews, Gays, Travellers and others are badly wrong. For the record, and to save a million other questions, it is not that I think we could have done anything much about it but we could have done what we do today and speak out publicly against what we saw as wrong. The image of the Irish Head of State visiting the German Embassy to offer condolences on behalf of Ireland on the death of Hitler is quite simply a most nauseating blot in our history.

What are your thoughts on the Easter Rising and what did you make of Sunday's military parade?

I believe that it should have reflected a much wider seam of Irish cultural and civic life. Having said that however, it was important that the democratic army of the Irish people wearing their Óglaigh na h-Éireann cap and lapel badges were recognised as the true successors of the 1916 patriots.

There was anger recently at the perceived backtracking of the Taoiseach in relation to MPs from NI speaking in the Oireachtas. What are your thoughts on that issue? A good or bad idea? Should they be allowed speak in the Seanad?

This really goes back to the first question. A parliament has to be for the representatives of the citizens who elect that Parliament. I do not agree that representatives elected to Westminster should automatically and formally be given rights to be members of the Dáil or Seanad. To me that would be unpalatable and demeaning of our own Parliament. On the other hand I would very much welcome methods and structures giving certain access and involvement and participation to Northern Ireland politicians in Leinster House.

What are your thoughts on the current conflict in Iraq right now and Ireland's position?

I believe that the US and the UK acted illegally in invading Iraq. It now looks like they are shaping up to do the same in Iran. I am against nuclear power but for what it’s worth I wouldn’t trust the Bush Government any more than your man in Iran who has stated that he is in favour of wiping Israel off the map. Though I have been a lifelong PLO supporter I believe that Israel should be recognised as Arafat did.

What do you make of the Seanad? Do you feel it provides a useful service to Irish society?

I believe the Seanad to be unrepresentative and undemocratic and needs to be reformed. See the Report of the Seanad Reform Committee for a detailed outline of what I believe should be done to give all citizens a right to vote in the Seanad while preserving its difference to the Dáil. I am not in favour of giving more power to the Seanad as I believe the Constitution has the balance right. Most people who comment on the Seanad have little idea of its powers or its functions. For instance very few people advert to the fact that in recent years close on half of all new legislation is actually introduced in the Seanad before it is seen by the Dáil. The Seanad function of poring over legislation is a crucial protection to democracy.

Who do you think will win the next General Election and do you think Sinn Féin should be eligible as potential coalition partners?

There’s a lot of nonsense talked about this one. Again it is back to basic principles of democracy. There can be no second guessing of the people. If the people elect a TD or Senator then I reject outright the arguments that such people are unfit for Government. The people decide.

Where should Ireland be twenty years from now?

Not enough space or time.

Finally, I'd like to play a small round of word association. I'm sure you know what it entails. Basically just outline what word comes into your head when you hear the following names:

Bertie Ahern -
Tony Blair -
George W. Bush -
Mary McAleese -
Ian Paisley -
Gerry Adams -
Michael McDowell -
Brian Cowen -
Padraig Pearse -
Joe O'Toole –

I don’t really want to play this game right now except to say that they were all elected to Office. I have had to deal with six of them over the years. Whereas I disagree fundamentally with a few of them I do believe that politics should not be about consensus and that political progress is made through the tension between opposing views. The worst politicians are those who keep their own company and do not test their arguments against their political opponents.

Next week, Immigration Control Platform spokesperson Aine Ni Chonaill takes my questions. Be sure to keep clicking in to United Irelander for a firsthand look at Irish political life.

Previous interviews can be read here.

I was very interested to learn, courtesy of Tom over at The Green Ribbon, that Ireland has come in fourth from bottom in the Failed State Index 2006.

Yes, while the top four failed states were found to be Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast and Iraq, in contrast the four states on the bottom who were found to be the most successful were Norway, Sweden, Finland and Ireland!

The Index focuses on twelve indicators ranging from economics to demographics to security to external actors.

While Ireland ranked in fourth best at 143 out of 146, other notable State rankings include the United Kingdom at 130 and the USA at 128.

These Index results are yet another feather in the cap for the Irish State and hopefully the success of the Republic will be observed by our friends up north who could potentially share in our wealth and prosperity depending on the choices they make in the future.

I was very interested to hear that the Pat Finucane Centre in Derry has claimed to have uncovered new evidence of collusion between the British army and loyalist paramilitaries.

The organisation says papers uncovered in London show the British government knew more than 30 years ago that the Ulster Defence Regiment was deeply infiltrated by loyalist groups.

The secret intelligence briefing concludes that between 5% and 15% of UDR member were also members of the UDA and UVF and the regiment was an important source of guns for these loyalist groups.

The Pat Finucane Centre says the Troubles could have ended years earlier if successive British Prime Ministers had acted rather than turning a blind eye to such information.

Worse still, it also claims to have found evidence that the UDA was used as a death squad as part of an official British government strategy to tackle the IRA.

Collusion is not an illusion and I am certain from my reading of this subject that elements from within British security were involved alongside loyalist paramilitaries in the murder of Irish people on both sides of the Irish border.

I am shocked and appalled however at the claim that it was "official British government strategy" to use the UDA as a death squad.

If this is true then it is a damning indictment of British rule in Ireland.

What the hell were the British up to in this island of ours?

My earlier post about how NI has been excluded from an online lottery as well as the comments from the SDLP's John Dallat that it was the "latest in a long line of examples where people in Northern Ireland are excluded" got me thinking about how much the people in the so-called "mainland" feel about NI.

In contrast to attitudes felt here in the Republic, it seems abundantly clear that NI is unwanted by the people of Britain.

Permit me to explain through this week's top ten list examining the top ten reasons why NI is unwanted by the British. So without further ado:

1. They told them so - This poll in The Guardian showed a majority of British people in favour of a United Ireland and seeing as this poll was conducted at a time when the IRA was still committed to its armed campaign and at a time when David Trimble was the leading figure of unionism instead of Dr Paisley, I wager that majority is significantly larger now.

2. They dislike paying for the place - Britain props up NI with an annual subsidy of £1.5bn. That is extraordinary. The cost of the North's Assembly has been hundreds of millions even though it has just been sitting there idle. The British government and people I'm sure are quietly outraged at this massive financial burden.

3. The British disagree with unionists - The policies of the British government are not indicative of a government that agrees with the unionist mindset. When the British Secretary of State comes out and recommends an all-Ireland economy and says NI is "unsustainable" in the long term, that sends out a very telling message indeed!

4. British don't understand the place - One could argue that there is apathy for NI amongst Irish people in the South but it is not to the extent of the apathy felt in Britain. I mean, how many of the counties in NI could the average Briton name? Could he or she name any? I wager most Irish people could at least name a couple, if not all.

5. Increasing respect for Irish history - The decision by the British government to send their Ambassador, Stewart Eldon, to the 90th anniversary celebrations of the Easter Rising was a sign of the mature and sensible attitude the British have in relation to Irish history. In contrast, the hysterical reaction of the unionist politicians offered a revealing insight into the gulf between the British and the unionists.

6. They exclude them - As I pointed out in my earlier post, the British are not afraid to exclude NI when it suits them. So much for the "United" Kingdom eh?

7. The British like Irishness - While a lot of unionists are afraid to look on Irishness in any sort of positive light, the opposite is true in Britain and as Balrog pointed out in this post, a recent survey revealed nearly half of all English, Scottish and Welsh people questioned said they would prefer to be Irish, after their own nationality. Another sign of this gulf between NI and Britain!

8. The British feel distinct to NI - While Irish people would understand aspects of unionist culture like Orange Order parades and the reverence for the Battle of the Somme, this would be lost on most British people and many of them would not have a clue about the Orange Order I suspect. The cultural gap is too great.

9. British feel more of an affinity with the South than North - I would personally be of the view that most British people, if pushed, would say that they felt closer to the Republic than they do NI. After all, an extraordinary number of the faces on British television are Irish people from the South. Terry Wogan, Graham Norton, Craig Doyle, Des Lynam etc. and one has only to observe the way the British treat St Patrick's Day to see the respect they feel for a nationality that many unionists have open hostility towards.

10. Don't understand the politicians - I think another significant point is that the British can't relate to the North's politicians. The Irish people at least understand the problems of NI but I think the average Briton is a bit bewildered by them all. Very soon, I think either this week or next week, the BBC's Question Time programme comes to NI and what I really enjoy about when this programme comes to the North is the comments from the British public who don't seem to care or have a clue about what is being said by the politicians.

So there you have it. The top ten reasons why NI is unwanted by the British. Feel free to comment on my choices or offer up some of of your own.

This story really cracked me up.

The Belfast Telegraph reports that The Irish government has been accused by Jeffrey Donaldson of fostering a political agenda - for promising a substantial cash boost for senior citizens in NI who reach 100. (Hat tip Slugger)

Yes the attack from the DUP MP came after it was confirmed senior citizens from the North who reach 100 are in line for a £1,700 payment courtesy of the Irish government.

Pensioners in NI will have to apply for the cash, the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs said.

The 'centenarian's bounty' - worth €2,500 - is paid automatically to senior citizens in the Republic on their 100th birthday and was recently extended to people born in the Irish state but now living elsewhere.

And today it was confirmed those born "on the island of Ireland" before the creation of either the Irish state or the six-county Northern Ireland will qualify for the dividend.

Jeffrey Donaldson's not too happy though and has claimed the Irish government is being insensitive in offering the cash:

"Obviously anyone born 100 years ago on the island of Ireland was when it was under British rule. For unionists the undoubted position is that the Republic has no jurisdiction over Northern Ireland.

"I think the Irish government should be more sensitive about unionist feelings on this. Certainly there has been no consultation with us about this.

"There is a political agenda here, it does fit with the Irish government's concept of the Irish nation, that the island is the nation and it should be a nation state, which of course unionists oppose.

"I think it is part of the Irish government's political agenda to endear themselves to people living in Northern Ireland."




'I say give the old geezers nothing!'


I must say this is ridiculously petty and childish, even for the DUP. What exactly is the problem? That the Irish government has acknowledged history and that these centenarians were born when there was one island entity?

This line in particular from the Belfast Telegraph made me laugh out loud:

"DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson said he had no doubt Dublin was "attempting to endear itself" - and that many unionists would snub the money on principle."

Snub the money on principle?! How fragile must your beliefs be that accepting a generous cash award from the Irish government is seen as unprincipled? Farcical stuff.

If anything I think we should give centenarians from the North a little bit extra for managing to make it to the age of a hundred - look at the politicians they have to deal with. I salute them.

The Belfast Telegraph has published a letter which is an excellent example of revisionism gone mad. Get a load of this guff from RS from Middlesex:

"Mr Victor M Sackett Jr basically wrote in the Belfast Telegraph (WriteBack, April 27) that the will of the people in 1918 was the last time that true democracy took place in Ireland and that the creation of Northern Ireland was undemocratic.

"He can't be selective about history, reporting only half truths.

"Northern Ireland was created by self-determination by democratic means.

"However, the creation of the now Irish Republic was established by terrorism and civil war. If he wants to think that the "26 counties" were created by democratic means then he is living in cloud cuckoo land.

"True democracy would have involved the entire UK population in 1918 voting on the future of the then Ireland."

RS, Edgware, Middlesex

Let us analyse this nonsense from 'RS' shall we? Northern Ireland was created by self-determination and democratic means was it? How the hell did you come to that conclusion? There had never been a six county entity in Irish history. Ulster was a nine county entity. Unionists only had a majority in four of the 6 counties they sought as in Fermanagh and Tyrone, election results showed 55%-45% support for nationalists. So how then can one describe the establishment of a 6 county NI, which ensured a 2/3 unionist majority, as "democratic"? And how exactly was it self-determination? There was no desire to create an Ulster nation.

He or she then makes the ridiculous statement that "the now Irish Republic was established by terrorism and civil war". Terrorism? No mate, guerrilla warfare. Look it up. Seeing as the majority of Irish people had voted in the 1918 General Election for the separatist party, there was no excuse for the continued British occupation of Ireland.

Lastly let's take a look at the completely stupid suggestion that true democracy would have involved the "entire UK population" voting on Ireland's future. How would that have been democratic? Ireland was treated as a distinct political entity even when it was part of the UK. It was viewed as a different nation. What gave other nations the right to vote on our nation's future? Hell, the English did not consult the Scottish or Irish people when it went ahead with the previous Acts of Union.

This sort of revisionist idiocy really irritates me. It is a selective interpretation of historical events in order to give retrospective justification to the undemocratic and unnecessary actions which occurred on the part of the British in Ireland's troubled past.

This sort of revisionism needs to be challenged and exposed over the lies it seeks to propagate.

And now we go from a story of generosity from the South to the North above, to this story of a miserable attitude from Britain to the North!

The Belfast Telegraph reports that there is much anger over a new online lottery set up to raise millions for charity which will exclude NI from taking part, prompting fears that Northern charities will be left out in the cold.

Pitching itself as a "fairer" alternative to the National Lottery, the game, known as Monday, will only be available to residents of Scotland, England and Wales when it is launched next week.
Maureen Clarke, the founder of Ulster's only ovarian cancer charity, last night spoke of her dismay that Monday - dubbed The Charities Lottery - is not available to NI residents, while SDLP MLA John Dallat said the move is:

"just the latest in a long line of examples where people in Northern Ireland are excluded from schemes available on what people commonly refer to as the mainland".

"This is a slap in the face for the people of Northern Ireland who are world renowned for their generosity."

A notice on the Monday website states that, "to play Monday you must be resident in England, Scotland or Wales" and adds that the "address you give must be the one to which your debit and credit cards are billed".

Oh dear! So much for this "United" Kingdom eh?

I can't help but feel this is a revealing example into the mindset of the typical Briton. As John Dallat said it's the latest in a long line of examples of how people from Ireland's north are left out in the cold by people who are supposed to be their compatriots!

It's also quite telling that above we have the DUP moaning about southern generosity to the North and yet not a peep is said about this selfish attitude from 'Monday'.

The British want nothing to do with the North yet the South continues to offer help to the North.

Unionists would do well to take heed of that.

The IRA were offered a deal by the British government that could have saved the lives of at least six of the Hunger Strikers back in 1981, according to Denis Bradley, former deputy chairman of the NI Policing Board. (Hat tip Slugger)

Mr Bradley makes the astonishing claim in an RTE documentary to be broadcast this week and says the deal offered by Margaret Thatcher’s government was similar to the one that was eventually accepted.

He tells the programme that his information came from people involved directly:

"The memory, and there is some dispute about this, is that there was a phone call on a particular night direct to Maggie Thatcher as she was on her way to a conference in Portugal.

"What she was offering that night was basically what the hunger strikers settled for. There are some disputes around that, and I wasn’t there and I can’t be authoritative. But the story I heard is that the representative of the republican movement who was in the room was offered the settlement basically on the grounds of what was ultimately settled for."

The British government representative recommended that Republicans "should take this offer", but Bradley says it was left to the prisoners in the Maze to decide:

"It didn’t happen, and it went on. I think at that stage about three people were dead on the hunger strike, and it went on to become more."

Bradley’s comments support claims made last year in a book by Richard O’Rawe, the IRA spokesman in the Maze prison at the time. O’Rawe said he and Brendan "Bik" McFarlane, the IRA prisoner’s commanding officer, accepted concessions offered by the Foreign Office on July 5, 1981, before Joe McDonnell, the fifth prisoner, died. O'Rawe has now claimed that Bradley has vindicated his position:

"One of the points that I was denigrated on was the fact that I said that the offer came from the horse’s mouth, ie Maggie Thatcher. Bradley has now confirmed that.

"It was an offer. McFarlane had been adamant that there was no offer whatsoever. Bradley has now said that there was. Gerry Adams has yet to say. Who rejected this offer and by what authority did they do so?"

O’Rawe suspects that Adams himself may be the Republican to whom the offer was made:

"It is time Adams got off the fence and came out and told us what happened here."

I really don't know what to make of all this. Before it was a case of former Provisional IRA men sticking to their respective stories but now Denis Bradley, who has always struck me as a decent, honest sort of fellow, has come out and backed up O'Rawe's claims. If what Mr Bradley is saying is true then it is outrageous that the Hunger Strikes were allowed to go on.

With that being said, I am always sceptical of revisionist interpretations of history and Mr Bradley's comments do come across as very vague. Look at the way he phrases things: "The memory, and there is some dispute about this", "I wasn't there and can't be authorative", "But the story I heard" etc. It's hardly concrete stuff.

I guess we'll all have to watch the programme on RTE to get a fuller perspective of things.

What are your thoughts though on Mr Bradley's comments?

RTE reports that an opinion poll in yesterday's Sunday Business Post has shown a big rise in support for Fianna Fáil, with the party gaining five percentage points since the newspaper's last poll a month ago.

The poll makes for grim reading for many of the other parties however, particularly Fine Gael and Sinn Féin, who are down two and three percentage points respectively.

Fianna Fáil now have 38% support, Fine Gael have 23% while Sinn Féin will be disappointed that they stand at a mere 8%.

Elsewhere, Labour is unchanged at 11%, the Green Party is unchanged at 7%, as are the PDs at 4% and others at 9%.

This poll suggests that there's plenty still to play for at the next general election but I must admit that I'm surprised at the standing of Sinn Féin. I had expected them to profit from the recent Easter Rising celebrations at the expense of some of the other parties but it seems Fianna Fáil have succeeded in profiting at their expense.

I don't think the Easter Rising parade should be regarded as the decisive factor in these results though. As Bill Clinton once said, "It's the economy stupid" and I think when it comes to economic issues, many Irish people look on Sinn Féin as a risky vote.

I personally feel that Sinn Féin's economic policies will be their undoing in next year's elections here in the Republic.

"I have a Premiership medal from last season and it's the same medal. I only need one. I can't keep everything I have."

Jose Mourinho

May is finally here! Which means summer is here too! And that gives me an excuse to post this sexy picture of Lindsay Lohan basking in the sunshine.

May is synonymous with alot of things. The onset of slightly better weather, the release of the big cinema blockbusters and for me personally, it will be the month where I hope to get my summer holidays.

From a political standpoint, it should be a big month here in Ireland as the North's Assembly members are to be called to Stormont on 15 May for a six-week period to try to form an executive.

Bealtaine should be a big month then!